tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55039084972620470402018-08-28T00:10:21.744-07:00Six By 10 Tiny KitchenJoelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610978830753946877noreply@blogger.comBlogger113125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5503908497262047040.post-80459649167842908522010-11-04T16:08:00.000-07:002010-11-04T16:08:21.167-07:00We're making a move...Hello dear friends and faithful readers. &nbsp;I am extremely excited to inform you all that my wonderful blog, Six by 10 Tiny Kitchen, has found a new home. &nbsp;I've moved the blog to the Wordpress platform in order to host my own site and use all of the wonderful tools Wordpress has to offer.<br /><br />So I hope you enjoy the new look and feel of Six by 10 Tiny Kitchen. &nbsp;It is, of course, still a work in progress and I will be making changes (slowly) as time goes by. &nbsp;I would love to hear what you think of the redesign.<br /><br />Without further ado, follow the link below to our new address, and thank you, as always, for coming along for the ride.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.sixby10tinykitchen.com/">Six by 10 Tiny Kitchen</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TNM8GzfVYrI/AAAAAAAABQ0/ebreCwtvRPE/s1600/sixby10-header-grey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="85" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TNM8GzfVYrI/AAAAAAAABQ0/ebreCwtvRPE/s400/sixby10-header-grey.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A huge thank you is due to fellow food blogger, photographer &amp; designer, Jun Belen for the creation of my new blog header. &nbsp;please visit his website <a href="http://www.junbelen.com/">www.Junbelen.com</a> to check out his photography and read his wonderful blog.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610978830753946877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5503908497262047040.post-47850391719845045082010-09-20T14:57:00.000-07:002010-09-20T14:57:05.439-07:002010 San Francisco Street Food Festival<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I feel a little awkward posting this now, so many weeks after the actual event.&nbsp; The <a href="http://www.sfstreetfoodfest.com/">2nd annual SF Street Food Festival</a> was a monumental foodie extravaganza, with offerings from some of San Francisco's best restaurants and food carts, so I would be remiss if I did not at least share the photos of our experience that day.<br /><br />Although it was a bit overcast, the weather did not at all dampen the spirit of people queuing up to sink their teeth into the creations of so many amazing chefs.&nbsp; Lines were long to be sure, but moved quickly and with little grumbling from the crowds.&nbsp; If stories from the first Street Food Festival are to be believed, this event was infinitely better planned as the expected crowds of thousands of Bay Area foodies had, at least comparatively, more room to move around, line up, or just grab a curb and enjoy their eats.<br /><br />So enjoy the pictures we took, and use them either as a reminder of a great day spend chowing down in the Mission, or as inspiration to attended next years sure to be epic event.&nbsp; Because we certainly enjoyed taking them.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/THHUIrw0TfI/AAAAAAAABQk/m2B34SCfzLQ/s1600/IMG_0814.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/THHUIrw0TfI/AAAAAAAABQk/m2B34SCfzLQ/s400/IMG_0814.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/THHQyzOFerI/AAAAAAAABPU/cn4N2kM_xc0/s400/IMG_0824.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ramen from Hapa Ramen</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/THHQyzOFerI/AAAAAAAABPU/cn4N2kM_xc0/s1600/IMG_0824.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="273" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/THHQ4gyCZSI/AAAAAAAABPc/ffkQuzWSbfA/s400/Prociutto+Figs.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prosciutto wrapped figs</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/THHQ4gyCZSI/AAAAAAAABPc/ffkQuzWSbfA/s1600/Prociutto+Figs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/THHT4DDY3tI/AAAAAAAABQc/pCFmLV3Avas/s400/IMG_0834.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The huddled masses wait patiently</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/THHT4DDY3tI/AAAAAAAABQc/pCFmLV3Avas/s1600/IMG_0834.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/THHRqe_PUEI/AAAAAAAABPs/0uU0OgTwiK0/s1600/zellas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/THHRqe_PUEI/AAAAAAAABPs/0uU0OgTwiK0/s400/zellas.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/THHROJ8MDII/AAAAAAAABPk/Jbih7tuipTA/s400/CornCobb.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="380" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corn on the cob with honey butter from Zella's</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/THHROJ8MDII/AAAAAAAABPk/Jbih7tuipTA/s1600/CornCobb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/THHSRpGhocI/AAAAAAAABP8/pv6V2I3X9aw/s1600/IMG_0844.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/THHSRpGhocI/AAAAAAAABP8/pv6V2I3X9aw/s400/IMG_0844.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/THHSCKZlIgI/AAAAAAAABP0/wLVGOm8SVck/s400/IMG_0846.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fried chicken with harissa and corn from Aziza</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/THHSCKZlIgI/AAAAAAAABP0/wLVGOm8SVck/s1600/IMG_0846.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/THHSb8xPN3I/AAAAAAAABQE/1L4fd4vFrLw/s400/IMG_0855.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">S'mores don't get much better than this</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/THHSb8xPN3I/AAAAAAAABQE/1L4fd4vFrLw/s1600/IMG_0855.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/THHSpSC-JsI/AAAAAAAABQM/jQz44HRqgyo/s400/IMG_0859.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brulee the marshmallow... genius!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/THHSpSC-JsI/AAAAAAAABQM/jQz44HRqgyo/s1600/IMG_0859.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/THHS0zIV66I/AAAAAAAABQU/8JgtA9IgWN8/s320/IMG_0863.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finale, a monsterous funnel cake</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/THHS0zIV66I/AAAAAAAABQU/8JgtA9IgWN8/s1600/IMG_0863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610978830753946877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5503908497262047040.post-58513524363810431972010-08-18T20:20:00.000-07:002010-08-18T20:20:08.723-07:00A Chat with Flour and Water's Chef Thomas McNaughton<a href="http://www.sfchefsfoodwine.com/">SF Chefs 2010</a> was a week-long culinary event celebrating the food and wine of San Francisco and Northern California.&nbsp; The event culminated last weekend with cooking demonstrations with some of San Francisco's top chefs, the fabulous Sugar Party showcasing many great restaurant's confectionery delights, and of course the grand tasting tent, taking over Union Square for two days, allowing people to sample and sip some of the best that San Francisco has to offer.<br /><br />I was lucky enough to sit in on the cooking demonstration as <a href="http://flourandwater.com/">Flour and Water's</a> Chef Thomas McNaughton prepared a rabbit turine with rabbit confit and stone fruit compote. Thanks to the good people at <a href="http://www.foodbuzz.com/">Foodbuzz</a>, I had a chance to chat with him for a few minutes after wards about his restaurant, San Francisco, and his passion for honest, unpretentious food.&nbsp; Here is what he had to say:<br /><br /><b>Sixby10:</b>&nbsp; You started working in kitchens when you were 14 years old.&nbsp; What was it that made you want to become a chef?<br /><br /><b>Thomas McNaughton:&nbsp; </b>So I started in kitchens when I was 14, but it wasn't until 16 or 17 that I started taking it seriously and started working in better kitchens.&nbsp; I remember I was actually a bit embarrassed by it at that age, I remember buying cooking equipment and telling my friends it was for my girlfriend or my mom.&nbsp; The other side of it was that I had never seen something like the inside of a kitchen before, it had that kind of badass feel to it.&nbsp; It's a unique work environment.<br /><br /><b>Sx10:</b>&nbsp; After working in so many highly regarded kitchens such as <a href="http://www.garydanko.com/">Gary Danko</a>, <a href="http://www.lafolie.com/">La Folie</a> and <a href="http://www.quincerestaurant.com/quince.html">Qunice</a>, what has the experience of opening your own restaurant been like?<br /><br /><b>TM:&nbsp; </b>Every restaurant job that I've taken, I haven't felt comfortable at.&nbsp; It's a learning experience taking that next step; I ran the kitchen at Gary Danko for a while, ran the kitchen at Quince for a while, and you always say how hard it would be to open your own place, but until you do it nobody knows how hard it's going to be.&nbsp; It's long hours, a lot of people in the kitchen work 16 or 17 hour days, but implementing the structure of a kitchen, until you do it 100% on your own from start to finish, you can't prepare for half of what is coming at you.&nbsp; You just kind of have to dive into it, everyone is going to get their ass kicked, and learn from that experience.&nbsp; As long as it's a learning experience and you come out the other side.&nbsp; But until you do it you have no idea how difficult it's going to be.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TGi5Kr66gGI/AAAAAAAABOc/GkJgODji17I/s1600/IMG_0780.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TGi5Kr66gGI/AAAAAAAABOc/GkJgODji17I/s400/IMG_0780.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>Sx10:</b>&nbsp; Did you bring a lot of what you learned from those other kitchens to Flour and Water?<br /><br /><b>TM:</b>&nbsp; Sure.&nbsp; But the most difficult thing about Flour and Water is that the kitchen was just completed 3 months ago.&nbsp; So it has been constantly implementing procedures in an unfinished space, which is very difficult.&nbsp; But every single job I've taken, at either Gary Danko, La Folie, or Quince, each of those positions I took for a specific reason.&nbsp; I went to La Folie to learn to be a really solid line cook.&nbsp; I went to Quince to deal with ingredients and build relationships with farmers, and I went to Gary Danko to learn the management side of it.&nbsp; The (Gary Danko) kitchen runs like a well oiled machine.<br /><br /><b>Sx10:&nbsp; </b>You spent a good deal of time working in Europe and especially Italy, and seem to be drawn to Italian cuisine.&nbsp; What are some of the fundamentals you brought back from your time there?<br /><br /><b>TM:&nbsp; </b>People think that we have a very loose Italian menu at Flour and Water.&nbsp; But most Italians that come into the restaurant get it, because the whole thing is that it's about what grows around you, it's what's in season, it's what's good, just try not to mess it up.&nbsp; You're not going to see that many avacados over in Italy, but we are surrounded by California avacadoes, so they are going to be on our menu.&nbsp; If you are trying to do something strictly from what is in Campanga or what's in Lombardy, those ingredients are out of season right now, or they are only very specific to that region.&nbsp; That's what Italian food is to me; use what grows around you, use it simply and translate that.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TGi9F8wtllI/AAAAAAAABO0/hrgCsLS9Uh0/s1600/IMG_0782.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TGi9F8wtllI/AAAAAAAABO0/hrgCsLS9Uh0/s400/IMG_0782.jpg" width="350" /></a></div><br /><b>Sx10:</b>&nbsp; You've mentioned in other interviews the importance of sourcing from small, local farms, using sustainable ingredients and making sure you use the whole animal.&nbsp; Can you share a little about how that became a priority for you?<br /><br /><b>TM:</b>&nbsp; It's ten times a better product.&nbsp; That salad (a peach compote &amp; salad he made to compliment the rabbit turine), if we had some disgusting Mexican peaches that tasted like nothing, the salad would be ruined.&nbsp; But what we have (the peaches) are amazing, so it makes our job easier.&nbsp; It's about amazing products, and as a cook you want to surround yourself with the best products you possibly can.<br /><br />But it's also about supporting people.&nbsp; I love the interaction with farmers, and the relationships that we have together.&nbsp; I'd much rather call up a guy that I know and say "what do you have?&nbsp; Send it to me." and talk to him for a half hour about his kids, whats going on in his life.&nbsp; That's important to me, to build those relationships.<br /><br /><b>Sx10:</b>&nbsp; You mentioned during the demo that in your kitchen, you don't really use recipes, but ratios, like 16 ounces of lean meat needs 8 ounces of fat back when making a sausage.&nbsp; I've always thought recipes are better as suggestions, because there are always so many variables.&nbsp; Could you share your thoughts?<br /><br /><b>TM:&nbsp; </b>It's difficult in restaurants because you need to be streamlined.&nbsp; If you make a dish, it needs to taste exactly like he made the dish the day before, or she made the dish the day before that.&nbsp; But the food that we are using is ever changing.&nbsp; I can't stand sterile restaurants.&nbsp; There are certain restaurants that you go to that have that sterile feel, that people get into a routine of going to.&nbsp; Food needs to be a little bit dirty.&nbsp; You can have the most high-end restaurant with the most intricate food, but it needs to be dirty.&nbsp; There are those heightened flavors, and (the food) is less sterile.&nbsp; That doesn't mean rustic food to me, dirty food, it means the food is ever changing, bold flavors, it's not cookie cutter.<br /><br /><b> </b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TGi9NOyjZRI/AAAAAAAABO8/7iZVEk5IfFk/s1600/IMG_0786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TGi9NOyjZRI/AAAAAAAABO8/7iZVEk5IfFk/s400/IMG_0786.jpg" width="393" /></a></div><br /><b>Sx10:</b>&nbsp; Do you have a guilty pleasure dish?<br /><br /><b>TM:</b>&nbsp; I'm from the East Coast, so I definitely miss cheesesteaks.&nbsp; But I'm going to have to go with a pork roll.&nbsp; Every single breakfast menu in the tri-state area has pork roll.&nbsp; It's almost like Spam.&nbsp; It's definitely not made from humane things, but it's just something I grew up with and every time I go back there I eat pork rolls.<br /><br /><b>Sx10:</b>&nbsp; You have three new businesses opening up soon near Flour and Water.&nbsp; Can you talk a little about what they are and what the motivation was behind them?<br /><br /><b>TM:&nbsp; </b>There is Central Kitchen, which is a new restaurant, then a salumeria, and bar.&nbsp; Everything goes with the neighborhood, goes as the natural next step.&nbsp; The salumeria is extremely rustic to-go food, a good day time business to capture a lower price point and serve people that can't afford to go to Flour and Water.&nbsp; Central Kitchen is little bit more high end; it's a bigger space, but everything (restaurant, salumeria, bar) just kind of flows together.&nbsp; Everything fits into a circle for what we think is going to be successful and the things that we want to do.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TGi9TF2sCtI/AAAAAAAABPE/sILvvSMTKjk/s1600/IMG_0788.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TGi9TF2sCtI/AAAAAAAABPE/sILvvSMTKjk/s400/IMG_0788.JPG" width="330" /></a></div><br /><b>Sx10:</b>&nbsp; What drew you and your business partner to the Mission as a place to open a restaurant?<br /><br /><b>TM:</b> The building had been abandoned for 8 years, and I hate the term "up and coming" but there were definitely a lot of things happening in that neighborhood. You could see a surge of people moving there, and nothing was really going on.&nbsp; It's so far off the beaten Mission path, they're actually trying to change the name.&nbsp; People say that we are in the Mission, like when people think of 18th street, that corridor there, that just feels miles away from us.<br /><br /><b>Sx10:</b>&nbsp; Steeling a question from the Anthony Bourdain playbook, what would be your Death Row meal?<br /><br /><b>TM:</b>&nbsp; It might seem a little to open ended; but I would take a spread.&nbsp; I like big flavors, and I want to taste a little bit of everything.&nbsp; I just want a bunch of little bites, a bunch of little glasses of amazing wine.&nbsp; I know it's a bit open ended.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TGi_U6Lb4dI/AAAAAAAABPM/g1MWT7BhtIg/s1600/IMG_0791.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TGi_U6Lb4dI/AAAAAAAABPM/g1MWT7BhtIg/s400/IMG_0791.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Thank you, Chef McNaughton,&nbsp; for taking some time out of your busy schedule to sit down and talk with me.&nbsp; It was a pleasure getting pick your brain a little for the readers of this humble little blog.&nbsp; I hope you all enjoyed getting to know the chef a little better, and be sure to check out <a href="http://www.flourandwater.com/">Flour and Water </a>as soon as you possibly can.Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610978830753946877noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5503908497262047040.post-19942744698140638592010-08-10T15:21:00.001-07:002010-08-16T08:31:10.324-07:00Summer HarvestWhere are you greatest food memories created?&nbsp; Is it at that impossible to get a table, once in a life time, four star restaurant with the out of this world wine list?&nbsp; Or that cozy neighborhood spot that serves your favorite dish, just the way you like it, every time?<br /><br />Maybe it is a night in with good friends, eating that favorite home made dish and drinking just one too many bottles of wine?&nbsp; For me, often it is a rare weekend spent with family and long time friends.&nbsp; A day out in the garden, picking buckets of tomatoes and other veggies, working together in a crowded home kitchen putting together a feast, with everyone pitching in where they can.<br /><br />We recently had just that weekend, and it was... well, there really are no adjectives to describe the enjoyment of time spent among the people you love, eating food grown and prepared by hand in a place so familiar you know it blindfolded.&nbsp; So for now, we'll just call it "home".<br /><br />I've got no recipes for you this post, just some pictures of friends and family coming together to enjoy each others company and celebrate a garden's summer harvest.&nbsp; We enjoyed a beer braised pulled pork, some fried okra, corn with garlic and chili powder, some delicious grilled vegetables, and the star of the show my mother's beautiful and&nbsp;exquisite&nbsp;tomatoes fresh from the garden.&nbsp; Enjoy.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TGb71T_s8II/AAAAAAAABNM/Hw19E3WVP0I/s1600/IMG_8080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TGb71T_s8II/AAAAAAAABNM/Hw19E3WVP0I/s400/IMG_8080.JPG" width="267" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful tiny carrots</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TGb8R519w1I/AAAAAAAABNU/nFqJyF00H5k/s1600/IMG_8098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TGb8R519w1I/AAAAAAAABNU/nFqJyF00H5k/s400/IMG_8098.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Garden of color</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TGb9A_OMAEI/AAAAAAAABNc/hk7lnp1bIcI/s1600/IMG_8108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TGb9A_OMAEI/AAAAAAAABNc/hk7lnp1bIcI/s400/IMG_8108.JPG" width="267" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The garden</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TGb-x0IuRiI/AAAAAAAABNk/Dilvj_HH_bs/s1600/IMG_8131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TGb-x0IuRiI/AAAAAAAABNk/Dilvj_HH_bs/s400/IMG_8131.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One morning's harvest</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TGcAyGVocxI/AAAAAAAABN8/ydo2VhMnWQ0/s1600/tomatopile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="255" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TGcAyGVocxI/AAAAAAAABN8/ydo2VhMnWQ0/s400/tomatopile.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Freshly picked tomatoes</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TGb_p86dESI/AAAAAAAABNs/NHCOUd28zOI/s1600/IMG_8161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TGb_p86dESI/AAAAAAAABNs/NHCOUd28zOI/s400/IMG_8161.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fried Okra</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TGcAiki59ZI/AAAAAAAABN0/XWsua3opxH0/s1600/GrilledSquash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TGcAiki59ZI/AAAAAAAABN0/XWsua3opxH0/s400/GrilledSquash.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grilled squash</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TGgwOut4__I/AAAAAAAABOE/SC1bsOc_1fM/s1600/Caprese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TGgwOut4__I/AAAAAAAABOE/SC1bsOc_1fM/s400/Caprese.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A beautiful caprese salad</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TGgwxgtMXxI/AAAAAAAABOM/6aqWFvdnB4o/s1600/Tomatoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TGgwxgtMXxI/AAAAAAAABOM/6aqWFvdnB4o/s400/Tomatoes.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colors of the garden</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TGgxh5IxIrI/AAAAAAAABOU/SVhNm9DjCPw/s1600/IMG_8224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TGgxh5IxIrI/AAAAAAAABOU/SVhNm9DjCPw/s400/IMG_8224.JPG" width="312" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">&nbsp; Our Table</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span id="goog_668456679"></span><span id="goog_668456680"></span></div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610978830753946877noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5503908497262047040.post-25509770890800326132010-07-25T17:50:00.000-07:002010-08-01T17:54:48.628-07:00Beer Braised Pulled Pork<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>There are few things in this world that I love better than pork.&nbsp; Really, what is not to love?&nbsp; It is surely the most flavorful of our noble domestic beasts, and I would argue the most versatile.&nbsp; So much good can come from one healthy well-fed pig; so many amazing, delicious creations to sooth our appetites for hearty, rustic fare.&nbsp; Case in point:&nbsp; Pulled Pork.<br /><br />I have always been a champion of the simple things; the uncomplicated things, the things that take time, a long time, to get right.&nbsp; Simple, elegant and versatile dishes with a few basic, exceptional ingredients prepared with the patience to follow through and make sure it comes out perfectly.&nbsp; And while some people might equate a long preparation and cooking time with a complicated dish, this Beer Braised Pulled Pork could not be simpler.<br /><br />With only a handful of ingredients, the success of this dish has more to do with just leaving it alone happily bubbling away rather than constantly fussing over it like a Thanksgiving turkey.&nbsp; Once it gets started just let the magic happen while it fills your house with amazing aromas.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TEtR4hHt4SI/AAAAAAAABMU/2wnZjgdoIAo/s1600/IMG_7948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TEtR4hHt4SI/AAAAAAAABMU/2wnZjgdoIAo/s400/IMG_7948.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><a href="http://www.chow.com/recipes/27755-beer-braised-pulled-pork"><b>Beer Braised Pulled Pork</b></a><br /><br /><b><i>Ingredients:</i></b><br />2 tablespoons kosher salt<br />1 tablespoon ground chili powder<br />1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />4- to 4-1/2-pound pork butt <i>(The original recipe calls for boneless pork butt, but that can be a little bit more expensive than bone-in.&nbsp; Also, the bone gives it a certain, something extra, and is super super easy to take out when the pork is done.)</i><br />2 tablespoons vegetable oil<br />8 medium garlic cloves, smashed<br />2 medium habanero chiles, sliced into rounds<br />2 medium yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced<br />24 ounces brown ale <i>(Newcastle works very well.)</i><br />1 tablespoon cider vinegar<br /><br />Heat your oven to 300 degrees and arrange the rack in the middle.&nbsp; Combine salt, chili powder, and cinnamon in a small bowl.&nbsp; Coat pork butt with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, and the cover all sides with the spice mixture.&nbsp; Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes at room temperature.<br /><br />Heat remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a dutch oven (our 5 1/2 quart worked perfectly.)&nbsp; Once oil is hot, add the pork and brown on all sides, about 15 mins total.&nbsp; Once browned, remove pork to a plate and discard all but 1 tablespoon of the fat.&nbsp; <i>(It works really well if you pour all of the fat out into a glass bowl and then spoon back in 1 tablespoon.&nbsp; You're welcome.)</i><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TEtSnpool3I/AAAAAAAABMc/XbuAkmhywvU/s1600/IMG_7958.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TEtSnpool3I/AAAAAAAABMc/XbuAkmhywvU/s400/IMG_7958.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Reduce heat to medium and add garlic, chiles and onions.&nbsp; Cook until soft and onions are translucent, about 10-15 minutes, frequently scraping the tasty bits from the bottom of the pot.&nbsp; Increase the heat to medium-high, and add the reserved pork and beer.&nbsp; <i>(At this point, since you bought 2 16 oz bottles of Newcastle, you will have several ounces left over once everything has been added to the pot.&nbsp; Feel free to enjoy them with my compliments.)&nbsp; </i>Bring everything to a boil.<br /><br />Cover, transfer to the oven and cook until pork is tender and falls apart when shredded with a fork, about 3 hours.&nbsp; It will look a little something like this when it is done.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TEtT7dBEcHI/AAAAAAAABMk/pC4swCvfJcM/s1600/IMG_7981.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TEtT7dBEcHI/AAAAAAAABMk/pC4swCvfJcM/s400/IMG_7981.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />With tongs, separate the bone from the meat and discard.&nbsp; Carefully, very carefully, remove the pork from the liquid and place in a large glass bowl.&nbsp; Over another glass bowl, place a large strainer and pour the liquid and any remaining solids over the strainer.&nbsp; Allow as much liquid to pass through the solids in the strainer, using the back of a spoon to push it through.&nbsp; Once enough of the liquid has been strained, place the strained solids back into the pot.&nbsp; Reserve about 3 cups of the liquid, or certainly all of it if you plan to use it for another purpose.&nbsp; It is super flavorful and would make an amazing base for a gravy or stock.<br /><br />Using forks, shred the pork and remove any large chunks of fat you find.&nbsp; Take your time with this, there is more than you think.&nbsp; Once you have discarded as much of the fat as you can and shredded the pork enough, place back into the pot with the strained solids.<br /><br />With your reserved liquid, strain out the fat using a fat separator.&nbsp; Since I don't actually have a fat separator, I just used a spoon to slowly ladle out the liquid fat.&nbsp; It took a while, but it was worth it.&nbsp; It might be time to invest in a fat separator for next time, though.<br /><br />The original recipe says to separate the liquid from the fat until you have just 1 cup of juice, but I had quite a bit more than that.&nbsp; No problems there, a little extra pork fat never hurt anyone, right?&nbsp; Add the cider vinegar and spoon the separated juice in generously, mixing with tongs as you go.&nbsp; Taste the pork frequently as you mix in the juice, stopping once the perfect balance of flavors is reached.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TE-GxvQDpgI/AAAAAAAABMs/AaC9mSwivyY/s1600/pulledpork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TE-GxvQDpgI/AAAAAAAABMs/AaC9mSwivyY/s400/pulledpork.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />This being my first foray into the slow-cooked meats, I was impressed with how well this recipe came together.&nbsp; This pulled pork makes great sandwiches topped with just a dollop of guacamole, or on warm corn tortillas with a little cilantro and white onion.&nbsp; It was a deceptively simple recipe to prepare, and kept us well fed for several days afterwards.<br /><br />Although I mangled this recipe around to accommodate lack of equipment and so on, thanks go to the good people at <a href="http://www.chow.com/">Chow.com</a> for sending me this and many, many delightful recipes in my Inbox every morning.&nbsp; I hope you all have as much fun preparing this dish as I did, and as always, enjoy!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610978830753946877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5503908497262047040.post-37531856034051922522010-07-06T15:32:00.000-07:002010-07-06T15:32:24.395-07:00A Day In The Park<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Nothing beats a day at the park. &nbsp;Warm sun, fresh air, throngs of tourists looking for parking. &nbsp;This weekend, before all of the Independence Day&nbsp;hullabaloo, the missus and I decided to take a nice long stroll through Golden Gate Park and enjoy the fleeting San Francisco sun. &nbsp;Oh and hey, whats this? &nbsp;<a href="http://www.samschowdermobile.com/">Sam's Chowder Mobile</a> was there too, serving delicious lobster rolls and fish &amp; chips just behind the music concourse.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TDKpxj9J01I/AAAAAAAABL0/LKZC33jr5qM/s1600/IMG_0691.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TDKpxj9J01I/AAAAAAAABL0/LKZC33jr5qM/s400/IMG_0691.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />We often plan our outings around the places we want to eat, and this day was no exception. &nbsp;Golden Gate Park can get a bit crowded, but I have been wanting to give the Chowder Mobile a try for a while, and what better way to enjoy lunch than sitting on a park bench, soaking up sunshine, munching on delicious sea food?<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TDKqfFzd9CI/AAAAAAAABMM/nP0nzD6mH30/s1600/IMG_0693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TDKqfFzd9CI/AAAAAAAABMM/nP0nzD6mH30/s400/IMG_0693.JPG" width="257" /></a></div><br />While the menu is a little pricey for what you might expect from a food truck, the quality is truly worth your money. &nbsp;The "shortie" lobster roll is fantastic, sweet flaky lobster chunks stuffed (barely) into a toasted butter slice of bread. &nbsp;The missus took on the fish and chips which were perfectly breaded and not terribly greasy, as some variations can be. &nbsp;I will warn though that the order of fries for $4 is actually an enormous order of fries, almost worthy of being a meal unto themselves. &nbsp;Unless you are sharing them with a couple of people or just really love fries, save your money.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TDKqA_lwr7I/AAAAAAAABL8/uU9NRNfwsb4/s1600/IMG_0698.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="376" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TDKqA_lwr7I/AAAAAAAABL8/uU9NRNfwsb4/s400/IMG_0698.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TDKqO4SowgI/AAAAAAAABME/izFGs1_1Xgk/s1600/IMG_0697.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TDKqO4SowgI/AAAAAAAABME/izFGs1_1Xgk/s400/IMG_0697.JPG" width="377" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">All in all, a great day out in the park. &nbsp;Yummy food, warm sun, a great walk. &nbsp;Keep track of <a href="http://www.samschowdermobile.com/">Sam's Chowder Mobile </a>on Twitter at <a href="http://twitter.com/chowdermobile">Twitter.com/chowdermobile</a>&nbsp;to find out where they will show up next.</div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610978830753946877noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5503908497262047040.post-63541840582291144452010-06-17T11:00:00.000-07:002010-06-17T11:00:56.251-07:00Dishcrawl Through The Mission<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On Sunday, the missus and I took advantage of the fleeting sun to join a group of food lovers and food writers for a Mission Street Food Dishcrawl, hosted by the lovely and effervescent <a href="http://ladyleet.com/">Tracy Lee</a> of <a href="http://www.battledish.com/">Battledish</a>, a delightful little venture aimed at getting food lovers out exploring their city and taking part in exciting foodie adventures.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our day started at sunny and windswept Precita Park in San Francisco's Bernal Heights to sample a few of the plethora of amazing street food carts our city has to offer, as well as offerings from <a href="http://www.terrasavia.com/">Terra Savia</a> Olive Oils and gluten-free baked goodies from <a href="http://www.zestbakery.com/">Zest Bakery</a>. &nbsp;From there we were off, an army of foodies tromping through the Mission to our first stop: &nbsp;<a href="http://missionpie.com/">Mission Pie</a>.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TBhHpPgGm1I/AAAAAAAABKc/cFW227_Z-lA/s1600/IMG_0578.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TBhHpPgGm1I/AAAAAAAABKc/cFW227_Z-lA/s400/IMG_0578.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Luckily, Mission Pie was all but empty on this Sunday afternoon, so we kind of had our run of the place. &nbsp;After perusing the delicacies behind the glass, the missus and I decided on the pluot frangipane tart with a little dollop of whipped cream. &nbsp;So simple, so delicious. &nbsp;Gone in a matter of bites. &nbsp;Mission Pie has without a doubt the most delicious pies in The City, and it is always a treat to get to stop in and enjoy a slice. &nbsp;Oddly enough though, on this day we ate pie before we ate anything that resembled dinner. &nbsp;Oh well.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TBhH9dJnzaI/AAAAAAAABKk/Uu861gA4_dU/s1600/IMG_0582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TBhH9dJnzaI/AAAAAAAABKk/Uu861gA4_dU/s400/IMG_0582.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TBhIFo92p1I/AAAAAAAABKs/OP1n2Z1KOUM/s1600/IMG_0590.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TBhIFo92p1I/AAAAAAAABKs/OP1n2Z1KOUM/s400/IMG_0590.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />After pie, we mozied down Mission Street to <a href="http://www.rosamundesausagegrill.com/mission.html">Rosamunde Sausage Grill</a>, a local favorite that somehow I had never heard of before. &nbsp;The recommendation from those in the know was to get the beer sausage, so we ordered one to share with grilled onions and sweet peppers. &nbsp;While one of the least exotic items on a menu that includes chicken cherry, duck, and pheasant, the beer sausage hit the spot. &nbsp;A smoky spiciness from the beef and pork sausage, sweetness from the onions and peppers, and a little heat from the mustard added up to a perfect snack before moving along to our next destination deeper into the Mission.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TBhJQhS0nLI/AAAAAAAABLE/CBoombj2NUo/s1600/IMG_0595.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TBhJQhS0nLI/AAAAAAAABLE/CBoombj2NUo/s400/IMG_0595.JPG" width="288" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: auto;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TBhIWh6mtBI/AAAAAAAABK0/4CCeaemxCUo/s1600/IMG_0599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TBhIWh6mtBI/AAAAAAAABK0/4CCeaemxCUo/s400/IMG_0599.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TBhI_1z2vMI/AAAAAAAABK8/Fss6BOT6mMM/s1600/IMG_0608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TBhI_1z2vMI/AAAAAAAABK8/Fss6BOT6mMM/s400/IMG_0608.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />I might have mentioned this before, but I love Mexican food. &nbsp;Love it. &nbsp;Cannot get enough of it. &nbsp;And if you are on the hunt for great, real, uncomplicated Mexican food, the Mission is where you go. &nbsp;Pretty reliably, you can walk down 24th street on any given day and be hypnotized by the wafting aromas of carnitas and carne asada, lulled in by the sounds of sizzling meats on a grill and too-loud soap operas blaring from wall mounted televisions. &nbsp;This isn't your financial district fancy, sit down, cloth napkin Mexican food, my friends. &nbsp;This is greasy paper plate piled with tender meat and warm tortillas, juice dripping down your hands, use ten napkins by the time you're done Mexican food.<br /><br />And one of the best places to find that kind of Mexican food, the best kind in my humble opinion, is at <a href="http://blogs.sfweekly.com/foodie/2010/04/tacos_from_taqueria_vallarta.php">Taqueria Vallarta</a>, a deceptively large eatery along 24th that boasts it's own taco cart separate from the main counter. &nbsp;Pull up a bench in the dining room and enjoy the colorful and whimsical murals covering the walls. &nbsp;For a buck and a half per taco, you have your choice of a variety of meats, including the standard carnitas, pollo, carne asada, lengua, and al pastor that sizzle in a round bowled grill being constantly tended by the frantic cook behind the glass. &nbsp;Tell the man the meats you want, he slaps them into warm tortillas, then you toss on fresh chopped onions, cilantro, radishes, a squeeze of lime, and a little salsa. &nbsp;Pay the nice lady, and you are ready to chow. <br /><br />I tucked into a carne asada and a carnitas taco, and honestly couldn't stop thinking about them for the rest of the afternoon. &nbsp;I truly could have sat at that table stuffing my face with those tacos until closing time. &nbsp;But we had a schedule to keep, and a few more stops to make before the evening was done.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TBhJdyEJiYI/AAAAAAAABLM/S8cd_sChBx4/s1600/IMG_0610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TBhJdyEJiYI/AAAAAAAABLM/S8cd_sChBx4/s400/IMG_0610.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Around the corner to <a href="http://www.humphryslocombe.com/">Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream</a>, where we all sated our sweet tooths with some of San Francisco's best and most creative ice cream. &nbsp;A crowd favorite was the olive oil ice cream, a strange combination of sweet and savory that really just worked. &nbsp;Some of the more original concoctions are secret breakfast (a mixture of bourbon and little flecks of corn flakes) peanut butter curry, cinnamon brittle, and the bizarre Jesus juice, a mixture of red wine and Coca-Cola.<br /><br />To exacerbate the sugary caloric intake, we had a visit from Cindi Fleischer of the <a href="http://www.anticupcakeco.com/">Anticupcake company</a>, maker of deliciously diminutive personal sized cheesecakes. &nbsp;Cindi brought along a small cooler packed with her mini cheesecakes including dulce de leche and and s'mores, two exceptionally creative flavors that wowed the group. &nbsp;My one sweet weakness has always been cheesecake, and these little treats were first rate.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TBmXo6X2WaI/AAAAAAAABLs/eLjaafPmMu8/s1600/IMG_0526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TBmXo6X2WaI/AAAAAAAABLs/eLjaafPmMu8/s400/IMG_0526.JPG" width="381" /></a></div><br />One more stop just another block up 24th street to <a href="http://www.lavictoriabakery.com/">La Victoria Panaderia</a>. &nbsp;A great neighborhood bakery that has been a part of the Mission for over 60 years makes some of the most delicious pan dulce in The City. &nbsp;The hour was getting late and our appetites were flagging, but a walk through the Mission is never complete without a stop at La Victoria. &nbsp;While the remaining members of our Dishcrawl group waited patiently for an&nbsp;<a href="http://www.vengaempanadas.com/">empanada</a>, the missus and I grabbed a few delicious looking pastries for the road and left to nurse our food comas.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TBhKkfA8arI/AAAAAAAABLk/JxTOd544X-8/s1600/IMG_0625.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TBhKkfA8arI/AAAAAAAABLk/JxTOd544X-8/s400/IMG_0625.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TBhKI9XCXQI/AAAAAAAABLU/ksufngTiaaU/s1600/IMG_0617.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TBhKI9XCXQI/AAAAAAAABLU/ksufngTiaaU/s400/IMG_0617.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TBhKXiGrAHI/AAAAAAAABLc/MI-odZpx6DU/s1600/IMG_0623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TBhKXiGrAHI/AAAAAAAABLc/MI-odZpx6DU/s400/IMG_0623.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Dishcrawl was a great day out and about, enjoying the sun, great food, and fantastic company. &nbsp;It was fun to see some familiar faces and to get introduced to new ones. &nbsp;Thanks to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/LadyLeet">Tracy Lee</a> for setting up this Sunday afternoon foodie adventure, we cannot wait for the next one. &nbsp;For more info on the next Dishcrawl and whatever mouth-watering adventures Tracy has planned next, visit the <a href="http://www.battledish.com/">Battledish</a> website and sign up!</div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610978830753946877noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5503908497262047040.post-54136508527687278912010-06-04T21:00:00.000-07:002010-06-09T20:57:43.894-07:00Simple IngredientsI am not a good cook. &nbsp;And I am not saying that out of humility, fishing for a compliment. &nbsp;I say that because I am not learned in the refined techniques of turning raw ingredients into perfectly crafted dishes, or pairing delicate flavors together to dazzle the pallet. &nbsp;I have, for the most part, learned what little I do know by watching, by reading, and of course by making mistakes.<br /><br />One thing that I know for sure though is that it does not take much to make something that tastes absolutely amazing. &nbsp;It certainly doesn't take much to turn a few ingredients into a mess of tasteless mush, either, but that typically happens when we try just a little too hard. &nbsp;The most important thing I have learned is that cooking is applying a certain amount of heat for a certain amount of time to raw ingredients. &nbsp;Sure, there is some chopping and stirring and seasoning involved, but what gives the dish it's flavor, what causes it to succeed or fail, are the ingredients.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TBBdh6WasZI/AAAAAAAABKM/aphzIyAYPa0/s1600/Asparagus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TBBdh6WasZI/AAAAAAAABKM/aphzIyAYPa0/s320/Asparagus.jpg" /></a></div><br />I think so often we are either so snobbishly aloof or so brazenly indifferent to the food we eat that we forget exactly what causes that particular emotional (or lack thereof) connection. &nbsp;But believe me, the reason so many people seek out the best restaurants while others simply disregard food as anything but fuel will boil down every time to the quality of the ingredients in the food they eat. &nbsp;The greatest chefs in the world will tell you that any menu begins and ends with the freshest, highest quality ingredients. &nbsp;As a contrast to that, the lowliest fry cook at any fast food joint in the world will tell you that they don't know where tomatoes come from or when they are in season, they just know a slice of one is supposed to go on top of the patty.<br /><br />The basic, raw ingredients come from somewhere, and it can't hurt to know where they came from and how many people have handled them along the way. &nbsp;Obviously, the fresher the ingredient, the more honest and vibrant the flavor, and the fewer hands an ingredient passes through to get to your kitchen, the fresher it will be. &nbsp;And whatever your ingredient, whether it is fiddleheads or flank steak, the fresher and more flavorful the ingredient, the less preparation needed to turn it into a spectacular meal.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TBBgBbaBnlI/AAAAAAAABKU/wzpVIOzOTSg/s1600/Fiddleheads.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TBBgBbaBnlI/AAAAAAAABKU/wzpVIOzOTSg/s320/Fiddleheads.jpg" /></a></div><br />I have never been particularly impressed with dishes that try far too hard to be something they are not; those precariously balanced towers of unnaturally shaped food or the modernist deconstruction of grandma's meatballs seem more like an ode to the chef's ego than real food.&nbsp; I realize there is a time and a place for a dish prepared with such meticulous and single-minded precision.&nbsp; But for me food is not precise or scientific; food is warm and organic, heartfelt, and not just a little messy.&nbsp; The elegance and pleasure of a meal comes not from it's artistic design and presentation, but from it's simplicity; a dish that relies on the quality of just a few exceptional ingredients.<br /><br />&nbsp;Those ingredients, the raw materials of your dinner, are what make your meal delicious. &nbsp;So often the meals I make for my wife and I on a weeknight after a long day at work are made with the least amount of fuss and preparation. &nbsp;And more often than not, dinner is pretty darn good. &nbsp;I won't lie; we've had some disasters. &nbsp;But occasionally, we surprise ourselves and throw together something out of this world delicious.<br /><br />But not once has it been because I am a good cook.&nbsp; When you rely on the exquisit flavors of a few exceptional ingredients, you don't need to be.&nbsp; Pasta with Chanterelle mushrooms and early girl tomatoes, Quinoa with fresh asparagus, sauteed green beans and garlic, or slices of fresh tomato with olive oil. &nbsp;A few fresh, simple ingredients, prepared with minimal fuss, letting the flavors of your ingredients shine through. &nbsp;Just add the heat.Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610978830753946877noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5503908497262047040.post-13070087755073312462010-05-28T18:25:00.000-07:002010-05-28T18:25:01.678-07:00Birthday Dinner At San Francisco's A16<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Alright, it's official.&nbsp; I'm getting older.&nbsp; Not <i>old</i>, mind you, just older.&nbsp; The inevitably steady always forward never backward progression of time is a typical and well-worn source of worry.&nbsp; But really, when a birthday comes around, I say enjoy yourself, eat, drink, and be merry.&nbsp; No reason to fuss and fret over gaining yet another year, but take one day, or two, or five, and worry about celebrating, well, yourself.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In that spirit, as I went from being 30 to being "in my 30's", I wanted to enjoy an amazing dinner with my favorite girl at a spot I have been aching to try for some time.&nbsp; That spot was <a href="http://www.a16sf.com/">A16</a> in San Francisco's Marina District, and believe me, it was worth the wait.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We started off by ordering a carafe of Terredora di paolo red wine, recommended by the waiter as being the quintessential pizza wine.&nbsp; Starters came in short order; the missus getting the roasted asparagus with black olives, ricotta and lemon, and I the roasted calamari.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TABr4BbJP-I/AAAAAAAABJ8/jNcF-LY0xDw/s1600/Calamari+A16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TABr4BbJP-I/AAAAAAAABJ8/jNcF-LY0xDw/s320/Calamari+A16.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The calamari was fresh and flavorful, a very bright and uncomplicated dish.&nbsp; Wilted greens completed the plate, adding a little bitterness to the calamari and sharp lemon flavor.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If A16 is known for anything, it is their pizza.&nbsp; If the wood fired oven blazing away in the open kitchen was any indication, I could tell they take their pizza seriously.&nbsp; I ordered the Salsiccia pizza with fennel sausage, roasted spring onions, mozzarella, grana, garlic, chilies and olive oil.&nbsp; The waited brought us a small jar of chili oil, proclaiming he loved it and put it on everything.&nbsp; The chili oil was ferociously hot, but with a great flavor to back it up.&nbsp; In small drops, it added just the right amount of heat.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But this pizza didn't need any doctoring.&nbsp; Perfect from first bite to last, this was honestly the best pizza I have had this side of the Atlantic.&nbsp; The sausage was fresh and flavorful, the cheese creamy and light. Although the pizza was huge, it would have been a sin to not devour it completely and lick my plate clean.&nbsp; You can rest assured there was not a speck of pizza left on my plate.<br /><br /></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TABsIPUclOI/AAAAAAAABKE/KsJh4grdm2s/s1600/IMG_0568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/TABsIPUclOI/AAAAAAAABKE/KsJh4grdm2s/s320/IMG_0568.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">&nbsp;And finally, thinking there would be no way to fit any more in, we came to desert.&nbsp; I've mentioned before that I am not a huge sweet tooth, but sometimes, like on my birthday, I feel inclined to indulge.&nbsp; We shared an apricot and pistachio tart with honey ice cream that topped the meal off perfectly.&nbsp; Not too sweet or indulgent, just a simple, crispy tart with the tang of apricot, the crunch of pistachios and the cool sweetness of ice cream.&nbsp; Just a few simple ingredients and I am a happy man.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was, to say the least, a fabulous birthday dinner with my beautiful wife.&nbsp; I don't think I will wait for another birthday to come around before I visit A16 again.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S_8zFqtAnJI/AAAAAAAABJs/43ZhMBJX73g/s1600/Calamari+A16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610978830753946877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5503908497262047040.post-53422397698688638142010-05-17T12:16:00.000-07:002010-05-17T12:16:39.533-07:00Quinoa Stuffed Poblano Peppers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Recently we have begun to discover the wonders of quinoa, and have enjoyed making all sorts of simple, savory dishes with this super-healthy grain. &nbsp;Any dish made with quinoa is bound to be hearty and filling; a deceptively small amount will keep your appetite sated and your tastebuds happy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So when the missus discovered a recipe on one of our favorite blogs, <a href="http://cookingwithamy.blogspot.com/2010/04/quinoa-stuffed-poblano-pepper-recipe.html">Cooking With Amy</a>, we figured we like quinoa, we like peppers, and we definitely like mushrooms, so why not give this a shot? &nbsp;The great thing about this dish is how easy it is to make; very little preparation in needed beyond chopping a few veggies and rinsing the quinoa.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For those uninitiated into the realm of quinoa, first thing to note is that it has to be rinsed, thoroughly. &nbsp;Second, quinoa absorbs an astounding amount of water, so figure on your water to grain ratio being somewhere around 2:1. &nbsp;As part of an entree for 2 people, 1/2 cup of quinoa is just about right to make your tummy full and happy. &nbsp;However, there is nothing wrong with making more and having some left over for lunch the next day.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But lets move on to the recipe at hand, shall we?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S_GLHYxqO1I/AAAAAAAABJU/YxEMpPxTLb8/s1600/choppedmushroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S_GLHYxqO1I/AAAAAAAABJU/YxEMpPxTLb8/s400/choppedmushroom.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://cookingwithamy.blogspot.com/2010/04/quinoa-stuffed-poblano-pepper-recipe.html">Quinoa Stuffed Poblano Peppers</a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><b>Ingredients:</b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 Poblano peppers, cut in half, seeds removed</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 cup of water</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 cup of red or white quinoa</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 tablespoon olive oil</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 cup chopped onion</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 cups swiss chard leaves, shredded</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/4 cup pistachios, chopped</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes, liquid included</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">salt and pepper</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Preheat oven to 375 degrees. &nbsp;Combine water and quinoa in a saucepan, bring to a boil then reduce heat to low. &nbsp;Cover; cook for 15 to 18 minutes until water is completely absorbed. &nbsp;Remove from heat.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In a large skillet over medium high heat, add your olive oil. &nbsp;Saute onions, mushroom, and garlic for about 8 minutes, until onion is tender. &nbsp;Add the chard and allow to wilt, it will reduce in volume by more than half. &nbsp;Add the cooked quinoa and season to taste with salt and pepper. &nbsp;Once combined, spoon the mixture into the pepper halves.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In a casserole dish large enough to hold the peppers, (an 8 x 8 should do) pour in the canned tomatoes and liquid. &nbsp;Nestle the peppers into the sauce and top each with a few pinches of chopped pistachio. &nbsp;Bake for about 30 minutes, until the peppers are tender.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S_GLagQsi9I/AAAAAAAABJc/zrlmEiItocM/s1600/stuffedpeppers1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S_GLagQsi9I/AAAAAAAABJc/zrlmEiItocM/s400/stuffedpeppers1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is a hearty, warm, and simple dish great for a weeknight. &nbsp;We ate it as our main course, but the peppers could easily be served as a side dish as well. &nbsp;The one change I would make next time around would be to roast the peppers first and remove the skin; once they had baked the skin was tough and a little bitter, roasting them first would have brought out the sweetness of the peppers. &nbsp;We used fairly small peppers, which made stuffing a little bit difficult; if you can, find fat peppers that will give you plenty of room to stuff all the goodies inside.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S_GNYCLtKCI/AAAAAAAABJk/ej07ArUdf-4/s1600/stuffedpeppers2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S_GNYCLtKCI/AAAAAAAABJk/ej07ArUdf-4/s400/stuffedpeppers2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thanks to fellow San Francisco foodie <a href="http://cookingwithamy.blogspot.com/2009/08/about.html">Amy Sherman</a>&nbsp;for the great recipe. &nbsp;I hope you all will give this a try and don't be afraid to add your own spin on it. &nbsp;That's what cooking is all about. &nbsp;Enjoy!</div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610978830753946877noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5503908497262047040.post-47053108027726576842010-04-29T16:44:00.000-07:002010-04-29T16:44:35.702-07:00Butternut Squash BurritosI absolutely love Mexican food. Of all the ethnic cuisines we have available to us in this amazing city of ours, few have the ravenous loyalty and array of choices that Mexican has. Second maybe only to Chinese cuisine, there are more Mexican restaurants, taquerias, pupuserias, and taco trucks than any other one ethnic food in the city. Everyone has their favorite spot and their favorite dish, and will defend their favorite with rabid dedication.<br /><div><br /></div><div>Of all my favorite dishes on the classic Mexican food menu, the burrito stands atop the heap as a perfect mixture of all the best flavors of mexican cuisine rolled neatly into a tidy little bundle. Beans, rice, crispy vegetables, cool guacamole, slow-cooked meat, and spicy sauce all layered together in a perfect (and portable) roll of delciousness.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S8u6z08B93I/AAAAAAAABJE/vceNwQSof5M/s1600/IMG_7399.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461664372663383922" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S8u6z08B93I/AAAAAAAABJE/vceNwQSof5M/s400/IMG_7399.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>One of my new favorites in the exciting world of burrito-ology is of the vegetarian variety. Now, usually when you order a vegetarian burrito, what arrives is pretty uninspired. &nbsp;A lukewarm heap of rice and beans, occasionally dressed up with an extra-large helping of guacamole and cheese. &nbsp;Pretty boring, to say the least. But I recently stumbled upon a rather brilliant take on the vegetarian burrito, one chalk full of butternut squash, onions, avacado and the ubiquitous beans and rice. &nbsp;After discovering this brilliant new rendition at <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/picante-taqueria-san-rafael">Picante Taqueria</a> in San Rafael, I knew it was something I had to try and re-create at home. &nbsp;I gave it a go despite my wife's reservations, and here is what we came up with:<br /><br /><b>Butternut Squash Burritos</b><br /><i><br /></i><br /><i>Ingredients:</i><br />3-4 soft avacados (for the guacamole)<br />1 lime<br />A pinch or two of salt<br />1 medium red onion<br />1 medium butternut squash, seeds and outer skin removed, chopped into 3/4 inch cubes<br />1/2&nbsp;jalapeño&nbsp;pepper, seeded and chopped into tiny bits<br />1 can of black beans, drained<br />1 cup of white rice<br />1 1/2 cups vegetable broth or water<br />2-3 Tablespoons of Mexican seasoning paste (usually found in the cooler next to the bags of pre-washed salad.)<br />Cumin, paprika, chili powder to taste<br />1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped<br />Your favorite melty cheese, shredded or grated. &nbsp;No measurement here, use as much as your hear desires.</div><div>4 burrito-sized tortillas (we liked the spinach &amp; herb variety)<br /><br /><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Make the guacamole first to allow time for the flavors to combine. &nbsp;Chop 1/2 of the red onion fine, add to a medium mixing bowl. &nbsp;Add your avacado, broken up to allow for easier mashing. &nbsp;Using a pastry cutter, mash up the avacado, combining it with the chopped onion until it has the consistency of, well guacamole. &nbsp;Chunky or smooth is your choice, I prefer mine a little chunky.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Add half of the chopped cilantro and squeeze the juice of the lime into the guacamole, stirring to combine. &nbsp;Set this aside while you get everything else ready to go.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Prepare the rice, boiling in 1 1/2 cups of water or vegetable broth until liquid is gone and rice is cooked through. &nbsp;Add the Mexican spice paste and stir together, add more or less to taste. &nbsp;In a separate pot or a bowl in the microwave, warm the black beans. &nbsp;If you like it spicy, add a few dashes of hot sauce to the beans.</div><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S8u6zPh6sjI/AAAAAAAABI8/b75wiN76438/s1600/IMG_7405.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461664362621743666" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S8u6zPh6sjI/AAAAAAAABI8/b75wiN76438/s400/IMG_7405.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S8u8BYMBYlI/AAAAAAAABJM/QiJKG_3Q3fQ/s1600/IMG_7428.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a></div><div>While the rice cooks, sautee the butternut squash and red onion. &nbsp;Slice the other half of the onion into 1/4 inch ribbons and add to a hot sautee pan with a little canola oil. &nbsp;As the onion becomes translucent, add the butternut squash and cover. &nbsp;Allow the squash to cook until it is soft, and add a few squeezes of your Mexican seasoning paste. &nbsp;About half way through the squash cooking, toss in your chopped&nbsp;jalapeño.&nbsp;Stir in a few dashes of cumin, paprika and chili powder, or any of your favorite spices or hot sauce, and taste as you go. &nbsp;There really is no science to this, just season until it tastes right to you.<br /><br />Now it's time to assemble. &nbsp;I have a bad habit of over stuffing, but the basic idea is to layer your ingredients on top of one another. &nbsp;When I see it done in taquerias, they usually pile the goods just off the center of the tortilla, probably so there is enough room to wrap all the way around. &nbsp;Start with the beans, add the rice and then your butternut squash and onions. &nbsp;Top with melty cheese (we used Monterey Jack), guacamole, and a little fresh cilantro. &nbsp;Roll this beast up to the best of your abilities, and start enjoying your new favorite burrito.<br /><br /></div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S8u8BYMBYlI/AAAAAAAABJM/QiJKG_3Q3fQ/s1600/IMG_7428.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461665704975622738" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S8u8BYMBYlI/AAAAAAAABJM/QiJKG_3Q3fQ/s400/IMG_7428.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 269px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; width: 400px;" /></a><br />This should make about 4 good sized burritos, but you might have some goodies left over for lunch the next day. &nbsp;While the missus was skeptical this would work, I managed to win her over in the end. &nbsp;Now we have a new recipe in our arsenal whenever butternut squash arrives in our CSA box, or for when I get a hankering for something different. &nbsp;I hope you all enjoy this as much as we did.<br /><br /></div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610978830753946877noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5503908497262047040.post-7142951666299320782010-04-16T22:29:00.001-07:002010-04-18T18:45:46.640-07:00Quinoa with Asparagus & TabascoAs springtime slowly, very slowly, begins to break through the layers of clouds and rain and cold, it is time for us to put away the warm comfort foods of winter and get ready for the green flush of spring vegetables. While the roots and squashes of winter keep us warm and happy through the chilly months, I am always a little giddy when the weather starts to warm and we begin to see piles of vibrant green stuffed into our bi-weekly CSA box. And early spring means one favorite green thing in particular: Asparagus.<br /><br />Since asparagus has such a short season, it is always a gift to get it fresh from the farm where it was grown. We have enjoyed asparagus in many, many different ways over the years here in the Tiny Kitchen, but thought we might mix it up a bit with a recent recipe from <a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/supernatural/">Heidi</a> at <a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/tabasco-asparagus-quinoa-recipe.html">101 Cookbooks</a>, a favorite go-to of ours for delicious and healthy meals.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S8u1qrZDzaI/AAAAAAAABI0/-3V5UnEj32c/s1600/Asparagus.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 263px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S8u1qrZDzaI/AAAAAAAABI0/-3V5UnEj32c/s400/Asparagus.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461658717923823010" border="0" /></a><br />We jumped onto the quinoa bandwagon sometime ago, (again, thanks Heidi) and after we discovered this filling, hearty and delicious grain, we have been preaching the gospel ever since. Quinoa is amazingly simple to prepare and can be paired with just about anything you would eat with rice or couscous, that is to say just about anything at all. For this recipe, the addition of the tabasco butter makes the quinoa creamy and stands apart nicely from the slightly bitter asparagus and earthiness of the pine nuts. I have shaved the ingredient measurements down a bit to fit making this dish for only two people; the orginal serves 6. When making the butter, add or subtract the tabasco and dijon mustard to suit your tastes, we like things a bit spicy here in the Tiny Kitchen so we my have been generous in our pours. Keep in mind the butter cuts the heat of the hot sauce nicely, so don't be afraid to add a few extra drops.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/tabasco-asparagus-quinoa-recipe.html">Quinoa with Asparagus &amp; Tabasco</a><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Ingredients:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Tabasco Butter:</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span><br />1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature<br />15 - 20 drops of Tabasco<br />1 teaspoon dijon mustard<br />1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice<br />Pinch of sea salt<br /><br />1 bunch of asparagus, cut into 1 inch lengths<br />1/4 cup of pine nuts, slightly toasted over low heat<br />1/2 cup of red or white quinoa<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span>To cook the quinoa, first rinse well through a very fine mesh strainer. Quinoa cooks at about a 1 to 3 ratio to water, so bring 1 1/2 cups of water or vegetable stock to a boil and add quinoa. Cover, lower heat, and allow to simmer for 15 - 20 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the little grains let out their little white tails.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S8uf6_daDQI/AAAAAAAABIk/P6Weh7s93EE/s1600/IMG_7344.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S8uf6_daDQI/AAAAAAAABIk/P6Weh7s93EE/s400/IMG_7344.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461634808932863234" border="0" /></a>To prepare the tabasco butter, add the butter, dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt and Tabasco sauce in a mixing bowl. While the original recipe calls to use a mixer, this is such a small amount of ingredients that was really just easier to do by hand. Using two forks, smash, whip and stir the ingredients together until the butter is soft and has been completely combined with the other ingredients. Stir about 2/3 of this into your waiting quinoa and set the rest aside to dollop a little into your bowl.<br /><br />Finally, get a small pot of water going to a slow boil and add your asparagus pieces. Let them cook for no more than a minute, or minute and a half. Keep an eye out, they will begin to get even darker and more vibrantly green. Once the asparagus has cook for just a short time, pull them out with a spider or strainer and add them directly to your quinoa. Stir into the buttery quinoa along with the pine nuts and serve.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S8ugyelFabI/AAAAAAAABIs/qQZsOq2bPl4/s1600/IMG_7357.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S8ugyelFabI/AAAAAAAABIs/qQZsOq2bPl4/s400/IMG_7357.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461635762179369394" border="0" /></a>Quinoa is deceptively filling and incredibly nutricious; just a small bowl of this is all you really need for a complete, healthy dinner. This dish was a delightful way to celebrate the arrival of asparagus and, slowly but surely, the coming of spring. Thanks once again to Heidi at <a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/">101 Cookbooks</a> for the great recipe, it is always a pleasure to see what she will think of next. Enoy!Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610978830753946877noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5503908497262047040.post-22272539679752733422010-03-07T13:45:00.001-08:002010-03-07T17:34:41.947-08:00A Day At The Market<div style="text-align: left;">Yesterday, the sun graced us with her presence, and locals took the opportunity to stow their umbrellas and enjoy a day outside. No where in San Francisco is a better gathering place on a Saturday than at the Ferry Building Farmer's Market, basking in rare rays of sunlight and awash in the cool breeze from the bay. The missus and I spent our morning walking the market, searching for fresh fruits and veggies for the upcoming week, and a little something special for lunch.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S5QxKLTdfbI/AAAAAAAABHU/GFNGlyRrWVk/s400/IMG_0436.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446031900300639666" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /><div style="text-align: left;">Since the missus is rocking her 21 day vegan kickstart, she tucked in to a raw pumpkin lasagna from <a href="http://www.aliveveggie.com/">Alive!</a>, a local raw restaurant with their own tent at the outdoor market. I had designs of my own, and they were very, very un-vegan. Craving the chicharrones of <a href="http://www.4505meats.com/#">4505 Meats</a>, and giddy with excitement that they had opened up a tent at the Saturday market, I couldn't wait to see what they had to offer, and I was not disappointed.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">With child-like glee, I ordered the 4505 Hot Dog made "Zilla style", the hot dog topped with <a href="http://www.namusf.com/">Namu</a> kimchi, green onions, money sauce, and 4505 chicharrones. This is, and I don't think I'm overstating this, the greatest hot dog ever created in the history of ever. The Zilla style toppings can be ordered on any sausage or hot dog at the 4505 Meats tent. And, since they are like little pieces of piggy crack, I walked away with a bag of chicharrones to enjoy at home.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S5QxKxPhAYI/AAAAAAAABHc/letarIjQ4N4/s400/IMG_0437.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446031910484640130" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /><div style="text-align: left;">This was definitely not dainty finger food. It was messy, and I'm not even a little bit ashamed about stuffing this monstrosity into my face. It's just that good. In fact, I could go for another one right about now.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S5Q0rr5ti5I/AAAAAAAABHk/n6AIaW1ph9A/s1600-h/IMG_0441.JPG"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S5Q0rr5ti5I/AAAAAAAABHk/n6AIaW1ph9A/s400/IMG_0441.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446035774521576338" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S5Q0sJLprZI/AAAAAAAABHs/9_yedBLomTE/s400/IMG_0453.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446035782381448594" /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S5QxJqepr5I/AAAAAAAABHM/Q7sVOZ25PrU/s1600-h/IMG_0435.JPG"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S5QxJqepr5I/AAAAAAAABHM/Q7sVOZ25PrU/s400/IMG_0435.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446031891489206162" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">After eating and picking up a few necessities for home, like that pig candy there, we left the sunny Ferry Building to get ready for the dark and seedy underbelly of San Francisco food, the <a href="http://foragesf.wordpress.com/2010/02/27/sf-underground-market-march-6th/">SF Underground Farmer's Market</a>. The Underground Market is a gathering of local foodies and small, artisan producers of everything from granola to pickled grapes. During it's short existence, the market has become incredibly popular, no surprise for something that is supposed to be "underground". While at one point the market was crammed into a small apartment, this market was held in a loft space in SOMA, and the line to get in stretched down the block.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); "><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S5Q0svyDyHI/AAAAAAAABH0/DHOBMFKrNCI/s400/IMG_0464.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446035792743090290" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></span></div><div>Tables of home made preserves, pulled pork sandwiches, freshly foraged mushrooms, and much, much more crowded this small space for people to peruse, purchase, and dine on their fine creations. Iso Rabins of <a href="http://foragesf.wordpress.com/">Forage SF</a> served a delicious pork belly bun and <a href="http://www.fatalleyfoods.com/">Fat Alley Foods</a> served an aromatic variety of gumbos, including a vegan okra gumbo that was surprisingly flavorful and just spicy enough.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S5Q7WjzAhMI/AAAAAAAABIM/2yiJGlb5Z10/s1600-h/IMG_0473.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S5Q7WjzAhMI/AAAAAAAABIM/2yiJGlb5Z10/s400/IMG_0473.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446043108150117570" /></a><div><div style="text-align: center;">The vegan okra gumbo of Fat Alley Foods:</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S5Q7WVi6t2I/AAAAAAAABIE/27uZZS113D4/s1600-h/IMG_0468.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S5Q7WVi6t2I/AAAAAAAABIE/27uZZS113D4/s400/IMG_0468.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446043104324532066" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S5Q7V0wkNHI/AAAAAAAABH8/ndkNHOhFkDY/s1600-h/IMG_0467.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 212px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S5Q7V0wkNHI/AAAAAAAABH8/ndkNHOhFkDY/s400/IMG_0467.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446043095523406962" /></a>For our first time at the SF Underground Farmers Market, we had a fantastic time. It took us almost 45 minutes before we got in, and got out of there in just under that long. The downside to the popular market being in such a small space is that there is literally no room to move around, making it tough to make a stop at every table. However, with so many delicious things to choose from, you will hardly leave hungry. The mob of hungry people was pretty well behaved, all in all, everyone accepting the ebb and flow of the crowd as people pushed through to the next table. </div><div><br /></div><div>Keep an eye out for the next Underground Farmer's Market at the <a href="http://www.foragesf.worpress.com">ForageSF</a> blog.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S5Q0svyDyHI/AAAAAAAABH0/DHOBMFKrNCI/s1600-h/IMG_0464.JPG"></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S5Q0rr5ti5I/AAAAAAAABHk/n6AIaW1ph9A/s1600-h/IMG_0441.JPG"></a><br /></div></div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610978830753946877noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5503908497262047040.post-35271370591682749482010-03-02T09:48:00.000-08:002010-03-03T21:01:11.869-08:00A Month of VeganFor the next 21 days, my lovely wife will be conducting an exciting lifestyle experiment. For these first 3 weeks of March, she will be eating a completely vegan diet, exploring the many challenges and benefits of eating completely animal free. To be fair, I will be participating in this experiment when we eat at home, as we enjoy trying new things in the kitchen and sharing meals together. But for the rest of the time, I will be sort of the "control" portion of this test, so we can compare how much better she feels than I do after the 21 days.<div><br /></div><div>I feel I should mention that we are not ravenous meat eaters; our typical diet is largely plant based, and the meat we do eat is generally humanely raised and organically fed. The difficult part will come from the other animal products, such as eggs and dairy and products like pasta that are such a staple of our regular diet it will be a challenge to replace them. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>The inspiration for this challenge came from Her Highness Oprah, and her own well publicized 3 week vegan challenge. After watching Oprah's episode with actress <a href="http://www.thekindlife.com/">Alicia Sliverstone</a> and Michael Pollan, the missus joined the <a href="http://support.pcrm.org/site/PageServer?pagename=21day_vegan_kickstart">21 Day Vegan Kickstart</a> program which offers support through advice, recipes, meal plans and diet tips. She bought a great cookbook, "<a href="http://www.talronnen.com/">The Conscious Cook</a>" by Tal Ronnen which we are excited about exploring.</div><div><br /></div><div>So during these 21 days of eating vegan, we'll share some recipes, some challenges, and ultimately how my wife feels after 3 weeks of eating no animal stuffs. Enjoy!</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 360px; height: 292px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S48-S-u_WBI/AAAAAAAABHE/3bFxhnp5nq0/s400/Tal+Ronnen+Chicken+Scalopini.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444638970312874002" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Tal Ronnen's Vegan Chicken Scaloppini</span></div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610978830753946877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5503908497262047040.post-50483378405177115692010-02-18T20:08:00.000-08:002010-02-24T21:18:34.382-08:00European Vacation: ParisAh, Paris. What can I say about you that hasn't been said a thousand times before. Your beautiful lights, your deep and colorful history, your passionate people, and your food. Oh, your food. There is no city in the world that celebrates food the way Paris does. Our time in Paris was far too short, but we managed to see a lot of this beautiful city and eat some incredible food along the way.<div><br /></div><div>We were lucky enough to see Paris blanketed in snow; a soft layer of white covering rooftops and sidewalks, typically busy cafe patios were empty but for the tables huddled under the heat lamps. Everywhere we walked, the food of Paris lept out at us from manicured window displays and sidewalk produce stands. The smell of freshly baked bread and pastries was everywhere, especially in the morning as busy Parisians picked up their morning baguette on the way to work.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24DuFZTYnI/AAAAAAAABCk/-FXFN4-LerA/s400/IMG_5607.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435285890539938418" /><div style="text-align: center;">Our first morning in Paris, we took a French pastry cooking class with Pino of <a href="http://www.cooknwithclass.com/">Cook'n With Class</a> near our little apartment in Montmarte. We learned the art of making croissants, pain au chocolat, a raisin bread, and a fougasse. And yes, we used <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">a lot</span> of butter. The rest of the small class was made up of a family also from the Bay Area, so we immediately felt at ease with each other, something familiar so far from home.</div><div><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24KI7EktsI/AAAAAAAABC8/b5DT0VfaTRs/s400/IMG_4765.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435292948694873794" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24KIV6hmaI/AAAAAAAABC0/b52_w6GQxPg/s400/IMG_4756.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435292938720614818" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24KH674XYI/AAAAAAAABCs/XZl2bCwRIQc/s400/IMG_4755.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435292931478543746" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24KJX-T0iI/AAAAAAAABDE/HVCoIftWRsI/s400/IMG_4770.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435292956453229090" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The missus, enjoying a delicious ham sandwich:<br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24Ub3q7rxI/AAAAAAAABD8/Fa0_p2sAoj4/s1600-h/IMG_5734.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24Ub3q7rxI/AAAAAAAABD8/Fa0_p2sAoj4/s400/IMG_5734.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435304269315813138" /></a><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">A temple of fine food, Le Grand Epicerie has just about everything you could possibly imagine.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24UbTsYMRI/AAAAAAAABD0/6nXVwH0WB98/s1600-h/IMG_5167.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24UbTsYMRI/AAAAAAAABD0/6nXVwH0WB98/s400/IMG_5167.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435304259658199314" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">While our stay in Paris took us to many of the famous destinations of art and culture this city has to offer, no museum or palace would top the evening we spent with our friends Helene and Christophe, walking the city and finally ending our night with one of the most amazing meals I have ever had.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24OftNeCfI/AAAAAAAABDk/6b8xUzGVa_E/s1600-h/IMG_5113.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24OftNeCfI/AAAAAAAABDk/6b8xUzGVa_E/s400/IMG_5113.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435297738157591026" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">We sat down at <a href="http://www.restaurantlechardenoux.com/">Le Chardenoux</a> around 11pm, after an aperitif and a few bites of freshly sliced prosciutto. We decided on a spectacular bottle of Bordeaux, and waited for the cuisine of chef <a href="http://www.cyrillignac.com/index.php?lg=uk">Cyril Lignac</a> to arrive. Not knowing who exactly this chef is or just how special a place we were sitting in, we had no idea how incredible this meal was going to be. Fois gras ravioli, scallops with chorizo and a sweet potato puree, shepherd's pie with duck confit, the list goes on and on. Each bite was absolute perfection; I actually started getting sad as the few remaining bites disappeared from my plate.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This was the experience in Paris I had been looking for. You can have the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triumph; my Paris is sitting around a table, sharing wine with friends and savoring each bite of an amazing meal. It was hard to let this evening end, but by the time we were done the restaurant was empty and waiting to close, the Paris streets outside were quiet and it was time to be getting home.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24OfNWDhQI/AAAAAAAABDc/44NgW9Zh76M/s1600-h/IMG_5107.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24OfNWDhQI/AAAAAAAABDc/44NgW9Zh76M/s400/IMG_5107.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435297729603667202" /></a><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">It might be a tacky tourist trap, but it had to be done. This little cafe is where Amelie Poulin daydreamed and served coffee to her colorful cast of customers. The owners of the cafe know a meal ticket when they see one, and spare no effort letting you know this is Amelie's cafe. And no, it doesn't look anything like it does in the movie.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24OeuzkHII/AAAAAAAABDU/igiEm0yKPds/s1600-h/IMG_5019.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24OeuzkHII/AAAAAAAABDU/igiEm0yKPds/s400/IMG_5019.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435297721405938818" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24Od73gXMI/AAAAAAAABDM/BUG-9CkxFBU/s1600-h/IMG_5014.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24Od73gXMI/AAAAAAAABDM/BUG-9CkxFBU/s400/IMG_5014.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435297707732262082" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Marrons, or chestnuts, are roasted in braziers right on the street and stuffed into rolled up newspaper to eat as you go. Just one of the many things we discovered here, something we just don't see much of here in California.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24DtTwnm6I/AAAAAAAABCc/FM7jgBUeizU/s1600-h/IMG_5543.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24DtTwnm6I/AAAAAAAABCc/FM7jgBUeizU/s400/IMG_5543.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435285877215959970" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">A quirky sausage stand in a Christmas market near the Eiffel Tower.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24DsmLFI8I/AAAAAAAABCU/tfLhCrhuAfg/s1600-h/IMG_5527.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24DsmLFI8I/AAAAAAAABCU/tfLhCrhuAfg/s400/IMG_5527.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435285864978916290" /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">The world famous hot chocolate of Cafe Angelina:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24AhoRGm9I/AAAAAAAABCE/bWJLTD16aps/s400/IMG_5426.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435282378027604946" /><div style="text-align: center;">While the hot chocolate was amazing, this busy cafe near the Louvre is snotty and knows they don't need your business. This is the type of place most Americans think of when they talk about rude Parisians, a waiter who hardly acknowledges your existence and barely conceals his contempt for having to serve you. Was the hot chocolate worth it? Yeah, probably.</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24AibpJFHI/AAAAAAAABCM/oBAo4BkRxIU/s1600-h/IMG_5418.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24AibpJFHI/AAAAAAAABCM/oBAo4BkRxIU/s400/IMG_5418.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435282391818638450" /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">Food is art in Paris. This is a pyramid of macarons in a little shop just up the street from our apartment in Montmarte, but it seemed as if every street we walked down had their own unique take on the presentation of their beautiful treats.</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24AhOazJBI/AAAAAAAABB8/EkIdDg8Fdko/s1600-h/IMG_5286.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24AhOazJBI/AAAAAAAABB8/EkIdDg8Fdko/s400/IMG_5286.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435282371088950290" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Our last day in Paris, with a long overnight train ride in our near future, we needed to pick up some provisions for the trip to Italy. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S238zp6EWCI/AAAAAAAABB0/4CIq8s4sK6c/s400/IMG_5938.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435278289658992674" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">At another little Christmas market nestled in a square across from the Seine we found this couple selling artisan cheese and salami, just the thing we needed for our train ride. Lucky we did, too, we ended up eating most of it at the station while waiting 3 hours for our train.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S238y55Tv3I/AAAAAAAABBs/eL93bcjAibE/s400/IMG_5935.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435278276770905970" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S238yes5l3I/AAAAAAAABBk/gWghrX_GHkE/s400/IMG_5937.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435278269471102834" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">One of the cherished delicacies of Paris are the macarons, little beautifully colored almond cookies in literally dozens of flavors. It seems like everyone makes macarons, but some of the finest are found here at <a href="http://www.gerard-mulot.com/">Gerard Mulot</a>. These little guys are almost as enjoyable to look at as they are to eat. Almost.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); "><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24UaRW3wPI/AAAAAAAABDs/qIDlOd11PeY/s400/IMG_5141.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435304241851252978" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></span></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S233kMvlOeI/AAAAAAAABBc/Ukmpw_NJbKA/s1600-h/IMG_6193.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S233kMvlOeI/AAAAAAAABBc/Ukmpw_NJbKA/s400/IMG_6193.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435272526574205410" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">How could I write anything about Paris an not mention crepes? The iconic street food of Paris, little crepe stands can be found all over the city, especially during the winter. We tried them with jam, with creme de marron, and of course Nutella, our favorite. A perfect snack to keep your energy up while spending the day walking around town.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); "><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24W7m43eCI/AAAAAAAABEM/qi9W8l8wmSc/s400/IMG_5996.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435307013589923874" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24W8LLLgAI/AAAAAAAABEU/lHWHMgV3J7c/s400/IMG_5997.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435307023330410498" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Our time in Paris was so amazing, I don't feel writing about it has done it justice. There are not enough words to thank our friends Helene and Christophe for sharing their city with us, and Aia for her opening up her home and taking us to her favorite haunts. The experience of Paris was made so much richer by having friends to show us the city they love. Thank you all so much, we cannot wait for our chance to return.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610978830753946877noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5503908497262047040.post-43691220841260386742010-02-04T11:03:00.001-08:002010-02-18T20:12:12.903-08:00European Vacation: Bruges<div><div>Our next stop was the beautiful medieval town of Bruges in Belgium, a favorite holiday retreat for many Europeans who come for the Christmas markets and, of course, the chocolate. The only reason we knew about this delightful little town was because of the film, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0780536/">In Bruges</a>, starring Colin Farrell and Bredan Gleeson. Even though it is a film about hitmen, it is a glowing advertisement for the city with its beautiful canals and cobblestone streets.</div><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><div>All film references aside, the city of Bruges is a truly magical place, and during the holidays her squares are filled with Christmas markets, selling everything from mulled wine to cozy knit hats. The main square of the city, the Market Square, even has a large ice skating rink set up for all the tourists to test their wobbly legs or watch their friends run into each other while sipping a hot chocolate on the walkway.</div><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><div>The two biggest foodie attractions in Bruges are, no surprise, beer and chocolate. And Bruges does not disappoint with every window advertising delicious Belgian beer and a chocolate shop on very nearly every street. The one remaining brewery within city limits, <a href="http://www.halvemaan.be/index.php?id=13&amp;L=2">De Halve Maan brewery</a>, gives walking tours (in various languages) through the brewery's old buildings and brewing facilities, culminating with a tasting of their most popular beer, Brugse Zot.</div></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24nMbOKOcI/AAAAAAAABG8/NeLfLbxXFjQ/s1600-h/IMG_4264.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24nMbOKOcI/AAAAAAAABG8/NeLfLbxXFjQ/s400/IMG_4264.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435324894701828546" /></a><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24nLJ1Kj1I/AAAAAAAABGs/pd9o15Lz6jg/s400/IMG_4690.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435324872853720914" /><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24kSYtUTRI/AAAAAAAABGk/vpwgkQSUB2Q/s400/IMG_4697.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435321698571537682" /><div style="text-align: center;">Keeping warm with a little Jagermeister:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24kR5puTDI/AAAAAAAABGc/2eBxwekJYKc/s400/IMG_4644.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435321690234965042" /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24kRSaERzI/AAAAAAAABGU/n5sNGHALz_Q/s400/IMG_4633.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435321679700313906" /><div style="text-align: center;">The De Halve Maan Brewery, the only brewery left in Bruges:</div><div><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24ggyOlHfI/AAAAAAAABF0/z8gI7MnGtrs/s400/IMG_4316.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435317547893595634" /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24ggez3CVI/AAAAAAAABFs/BrBUIwXNWTE/s400/IMG_4319.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435317542681250130" /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24ghgfLdSI/AAAAAAAABF8/oS8XHuUVpPI/s400/IMG_4362.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435317560311248162" /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24giKnLICI/AAAAAAAABGE/7x39901bHug/s400/IMG_4379.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435317571619069986" /><div style="text-align: center;">Chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate:</div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24dpGTdiaI/AAAAAAAABFk/H9Y5ETtUI6Q/s400/IMG_4299.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435314392186849698" /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24douk6VPI/AAAAAAAABFc/J_vdtocZiOE/s400/IMG_4295.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435314385817588978" /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24dn9P2MoI/AAAAAAAABFU/RWxO-Dq7iXk/s400/IMG_4294.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435314372575900290" /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24dnbKajkI/AAAAAAAABFM/SFD_Lp_oPkU/s400/IMG_4293.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435314363426311746" /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24bcu5KN_I/AAAAAAAABE0/9zsMxpzT5hI/s400/IMG_4129.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435311980720830450" /><div style="text-align: center;">We couldn't decide if these little guys were here to be someone's pet, or someone's dinner.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24bdEwb_dI/AAAAAAAABE8/BjXp-cXVE1U/s400/IMG_4153.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435311986589826514" /><div style="text-align: center;">The Christmas Market of Market Square:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24Zb_Cl2zI/AAAAAAAABEs/OZ9K5tuHYQk/s400/IMG_4092.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435309768852233010" /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24ZbSboLcI/AAAAAAAABEk/fkHQSy2D-do/s400/IMG_4090.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435309756877647298" /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24Za8Z2znI/AAAAAAAABEc/pyIn9jM9W2o/s400/IMG_4088.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435309750964637298" /><div style="text-align: center;">The best way to end our stay in Bruges:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S24nLjObu1I/AAAAAAAABG0/GBVFHzZPHKA/s400/IMG_4732.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435324879670590290" /><br />Bruges was a fantastic place to slow down and enjoy a beautiful, historic city packed with beer, chocolate, and Christmas everywhere. But we hadn't even hit our stride, up next was Paris.</div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610978830753946877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5503908497262047040.post-44012763505160415942010-01-19T20:16:00.000-08:002010-02-02T19:58:18.075-08:00European Vacation: London<div>It's been a few weeks now since our plane touched back down in San Francisco, and the experience of our amazing four week trip to Europe has begun to fade into memory as we adjust back to normal life. It's hard to adequately express just how incredible this trip was, and what it meant to be able to share it with my wife. To be sure, it is great to be home, back to familiar people and things, but it was tough to leave.</div><div><br /></div><div>We experienced so many things, from the history of London, to the Christmas markets of medieval Bruges, the beauty of Paris, and finally the family Christmas in Padova. While not everything we did was motivated by food, it was never very far from our minds. There was simply so much to eat and drink along the way that it would be tough to put it all here, so I'll leave you with the highlights.</div><div><br /></div><div>Borough Market in London, a massive permanent market for all things food. Fresh fish and game, pies, sausages, and everything in between fill the green iron and glass halls of Borough.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S2ZYD3Q1RsI/AAAAAAAABAU/lHpHSKbC90M/s400/IMG_3972.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433126823866484418" /><br /><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S2ZaEAxGchI/AAAAAAAABA8/drWqNNrk59o/s400/IMG_3921.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433129025441002002" />One of the many offerings at Borough is locally made artisan cheese.<br /><div><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S2ZYFMyCt1I/AAAAAAAABAk/an_Drgsu3m0/s400/IMG_3893.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433126846822790994" /><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S2ZYEuhRpGI/AAAAAAAABAc/yCV3QQZjL2A/s400/IMG_3890.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433126838699402338" />Barrels of beautiful, colorful olives.</div><div><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S2ZaDiTp9tI/AAAAAAAABA0/XgogS7JtxLM/s400/IMG_3910.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433129017264436946" />Hand made chutneys and marmalades<br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S2ZaDNXsl5I/AAAAAAAABAs/v_9DYlpOxIA/s400/IMG_3897.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433129011644241810" />Nuts, candies, chocolates... tables and tables of delicacies.<br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S2ZcWw5ta4I/AAAAAAAABBE/vHPJet1hUSk/s400/IMG_3943.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433131546622913410" />Here's something you won't ever see much of at home: Food with its fur and feathers still on. Ducks, pheasants, rabbits, and even a deer hang ready to become dinner. I realize that some might be a bit squemish about seeing their food outside of hermetically sealed plastic, but this is what dinner looks like before it becomes dinner. </div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S2ZcYAA1tTI/AAAAAAAABBU/nI7ecqYoza8/s1600-h/IMG_3951.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S2ZcYAA1tTI/AAAAAAAABBU/nI7ecqYoza8/s400/IMG_3951.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433131567859217714" /></a><div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Tasty, happy pig.</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S2ZcXe5eFyI/AAAAAAAABBM/cnxqirNKI7g/s1600-h/IMG_3947.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/S2ZcXe5eFyI/AAAAAAAABBM/cnxqirNKI7g/s400/IMG_3947.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433131558969939746" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">London is such an amazing city, and I can't wait for another opportunity to head back across the pond. Don't believe the rumors, London is a great food city. Although we were traveling on a budget, we made sure to have one big expensive dinner while we were in town, and we picked a charming Spanish tapas restaurant called <a href="http://www.cambiodetercio.co.uk/cambio-de-tercio/cambio-tercio.html">Cambio de Tercio</a>. We felt a little funny bringing a camera in, but my friend Kang over at <a href="http://londoneater.com/2008/09/26/review-cambio-de-tercio-spanish-in-the-smoke/">London Eater</a> has a brilliant review and snappy pictures of some of the highlights from the menu. It was his review, in fact, that sealed our decision that this was the spot to try. Cambio de Tercio was a highlight of our time in London, and it will certainly be on our list of places to visit when we come back.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Alas, our time in London was far too short, but we had many adventures to come. Next up, the Christmas markets of Bruges.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610978830753946877noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5503908497262047040.post-24616955132378170652009-12-05T15:17:00.000-08:002009-12-05T15:32:51.306-08:00Away We Go<div>Tonight we are packing our bags. We have spent the last few months gathering warm clothes, water-proof shoes, scarves, knit hats and every last little thing we are going to need for our trip. Where are we going, you ask? We are going to be spending December in Europe, starting in London, then to Bruges, on to Paris and finally Padova, Italy for Christmas.</div><div><br /></div><div>It is no doubt going to be an amazing trip of new places, new voices, and of course amazing food. As much as I can as we traipse around Europe I will update the Tiny Kitchen with photos and insights on where we are, what we are doing, and what we are eating. I hope you all will follow along, and enjoy our European Christmas adventure.</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SxrrYz-_whI/AAAAAAAABAM/CDXI9UwTj9I/s1600-h/IMG_3324.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SxrrYz-_whI/AAAAAAAABAM/CDXI9UwTj9I/s400/IMG_3324.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411896713742893586" /></a>And away we go....Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610978830753946877noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5503908497262047040.post-27483701809767159292009-11-28T09:21:00.000-08:002009-12-01T21:56:52.587-08:00Giving ThanksIt is not often that we get to spend Thanksgiving with my family out in the Valley. We typically opt for the bigger Christmas holiday to make that trip and plan our huge family holiday meal. This year, the missus and I will be abroad for Christmas (more on that later) and wanted to spend at least one of the holidays around my parents' dinner table.<div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Typically, we would be cooking for a crowd of a dozen or more, but this year was just us; my parents, sister, the missus and I. Believe me when I tell you we had plenty of food to go around. And around. And around. You get the idea. Definitely something to be thankful for. A big step for us was ordering a free-range turkey from <a href="http://www.marysturkeys.com/">Mary's Turkeys</a>, a local farm that makes free-range birds available by special order through their website and local markets. Another departure for us was choosing to try brining the turkey this year instead of just oven-roasting it. When we arrived Wednesday night after battling holiday traffic on the I-5, my dad had the bird nestled comfortably in a cooler packed with bags of ice and a dark aromatic brine.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SxX8tE_EnTI/AAAAAAAAA_s/XhG-mpAROdw/s400/IMG_3296.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410508378718117170" /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;">We stuck to mostly traditional Thanksgiving staples like cornbread stuffing, biscuits, cranberry relish, deviled eggs prepared with care by my sister, and of course mashed potatoes and gravy. Really, what holiday is complete without gravy? And since we had such a stockpile of fresh veggies to play with, we threw together a mix of roasted vegetables with herbs and balsamic vinegar. The simplest things prepared with the least amount of fuss always turn out to be the best. For desert, instead of the traditional home-baked pie, we brought a treat up from San Francisco to share with everyone, a bread pudding with whiskey sauce from <a href="http://cajunpacific.com/">Cajun Pacific</a>. After dinner, we even threw the turkey carcass into a pot of water with some chopped vegetables and made a big, beautiful bubbling pot of stock, some of which turned into a fantastic and simple leftover turkey soup two days later.<br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SxX8tT8bnNI/AAAAAAAAA_0/aS_argD0Vdk/s400/IMG_3293.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410508382733573330" /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SxX-Ucgc7KI/AAAAAAAAA_8/28vxvbMuIAk/s400/IMG_3310.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410510154558663842" /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div>Our family has started to get pretty good at putting on a holiday meal. We figure out a menu, work out what is going to be in season and what local farm we should buy our ingredients from. Like this year, we use the bounty of our CSA subscription and of course my mother's prolific garden to prepare our feasts. Together, we have become quite the culinary team. </div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SxX-VGK-uwI/AAAAAAAABAE/x_s0JKWaTUM/s400/IMG_3314.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410510165742893826" /></div><div><br /></div><div>While all of the food is wonderful, and brings us together as a family as we dance around each other chopping and peeling and boiling, the meal isn't the only thing that makes these days special. It's going out to the garden and picking bushels of vegetables as a family. It's sitting around the kitchen table after dinner, playing a traditional game of Scrabble. And it's being there, with our family, talking and laughing, finding out what each is looking forward to, what we are struggling with. (Oh, and it's also giving my sister a hard time about her new boyfriend.) It's being thankful for the gifts that we have been given, and the people we have to share them with.</div><div><br /></div><div>I hope everyone had a chance to give thanks with your families and friends, and that you all ate very, very well.</div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610978830753946877noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5503908497262047040.post-23682992030950568092009-11-25T10:50:00.001-08:002009-12-01T20:47:38.184-08:00Persimmon Bread<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 20px; font-family:Arial, Verdana;font-size:small;"><div>With all of the <a href="http://foodbuzz.com/">Foodbuzz</a> blogger festivities behind us, it is due time for some actual food, don't you think? I am sure all of the coverage of the blogger festival by myself and the multitude of other foodies has been more than enough to make you jealous, and maybe even gotten you thinking about starting your own food blog. Fair enough, you deserve a good recipe, something to fill your kitchen with delicious aromas. You've waiting long enough.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>As we roll through Fall onto the threshold of Winter, the variety of fruits and vegetables coming in our <a href="http://eatwell.com/">CSA</a> box is changing, and bringing new challenges to the Tiny Kitchen. Among the vibrant pile of bock choi, beets, sweet potatoes and pomegranates, came a bag of bright, plump Fuyu Persimmons. Once I got past the initial forehead-wrinkling over what I could possibly do with these beauties, unsure if they required some ancient alchemy to even be edible, I figured out that I had the variety that could be rinsed and eaten like an apple.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SxXwEFuPBmI/AAAAAAAAA_c/9gatxv_B_mI/s400/IMG_3201.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410494480401761890" /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;">Still, I actually wanted to <i>make</i> something with them, so I scoured the interwebs for a persimmon bread recipe that was relatively simple and painless, and stumbled onto this recipe from the <a href="http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/">Fat free Vegan</a> blog. I admit that I probably had the wrong variety of persimmon for this recipe, as the flesh of the fruit should be from the mushy Hachiya type and not the firm Fuyu type, but I made it work. I peeled the persimmons, chopped them into quarters and threw them into the food processor for a few seconds to turn them into a pulp. Keep in mind this is a vegan recipe, and as it does not contain dairy or eggs, it is not as moist as other quick breads. With all of that said, here's what to do:<br /></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><a href="http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2007/11/persimmon-bread.html">Persimmon Bread</a></b></div><div><br /></div><div><i><b>Ingredients:</b></i></div>1 1/4 cups persimmon, mashed pulp<br />1 tablespoon lemon juice<br />2 tablespoons canola oil or unsweetened applesauce<br />1/2 cup agave nectar (or substitute 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar and 2 tbsp. water)<br />2 cups whole wheat flour1 teaspoon baking powder<br />1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />1/2 teaspoon ginger<br />1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated)<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />1/4 cup raisins or dried apricots, chopped (may use up to 1/2 cup)</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 20px; font-size:small;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">(I used apricots, because, well, I don't like raisins.)</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br />1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional--may use up to 1/2 cup)</span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, spray a loaf pan with nonstick spray.<br /></span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">In a small bowl, combine the persimmon, lemon juice, applesauce and agave nectar. In a large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients, except for the apricots and walnuts. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, stirring until the flour is just moist, do not over mix. Fold in the apricots and walnuts, if desired.</span></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Verdana;color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">Pour mixture into the prepared loaf pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean, about 40 - 50 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan. You can allow to cool completely before serving, or wrap in plastic and store in the refrigerator.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Verdana;color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SxXwEv6EeeI/AAAAAAAAA_k/SoRzFMV7RHI/s400/IMG_3240.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410494491725691362" /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Verdana;color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">The bread is good warm, but really shines if given the chance to cool completely before serving. Better yet, let it chill overnight as it tastes even better the next day. This loaf is dense and filling, but lightly sweet in just the right way. This came in handy as a mid-morning workday snack, or great after dinner drizzled with a little honey.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Verdana;color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Verdana;color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">Enjoy!</span></span></div></div></div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610978830753946877noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5503908497262047040.post-57975607769171954822009-11-08T19:15:00.000-08:002009-11-20T21:16:44.799-08:00Foodbuzz Blogger Festival, Day 2 & Farewell Brunch<div>Saturday morning, with the sun shining brightly over The City, our army of food bloggers descended on the <a href="http://hotelvitale.com/">Hotel Vitale</a> and <a href="http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/">Ferry Building Farmers Market</a>, <a href="http://foodbuzz.com/">Foodbuzz</a> name badges securely hung from our necks. To start the morning, a small group of us sat down for a discussion on sustainable farming with chef Paul Arenstam of the <a href="http://americanorestaurant.com/">Americano</a> and Brian Kenney of <a href="http://hearstranch.com/">Hearst Ranch</a>, the farming/ranching arm of the Hearst media corporation. Hearst Ranch humanely raises grass fed livestock in the central coast of California and distributes their high-quality meats around the country.</div><div>According to Kenney, the difficulty of raising grass fed, sustainably farmed livestock is finding consumers willing to pay the higher price for the higher quality product. Luckily, chefs like Arenstam and others are looking for humanely raised alternatives to feed lot livestock that take into account respect for the animal, the environment, and the quality of the meat.</div><div><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SwDBqc-tBWI/AAAAAAAAA_M/i7W_FAqji6k/s400/IMG_0190+1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404532487922451810" />While others gathered for olive oil or cheese tastings, the rest of us were left to explore the Ferry Building and grab a quick bite to eat before the taste pavillions at the Metreon. With a little time to kill, it was a beautiful day to lounge on a bench in <a href="http://www.yerbabuenagardens.com/">Yerba Buena Gardens</a> and enjoy some people watching.Before I knew it, it was high time to get upstairs to the Metreon City View level for the taste pavilions, a hall full of food, beer and wine artisans eager to share their creations, and their stories, with all of us. There was a huge array of things to sip and nibble on, so I'll share some of my highlights, guided mostly by what I was able to get a good picture of.<div><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 244px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SwDAo11aq4I/AAAAAAAAA_E/-I5qZHbzFQM/s400/IMG_0194+1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404531360723020674" />Here we have the <a href="http://www.kerrygold.com/usa/">Kerrigold</a> table, with some of the richest butter and most flavorful cheeses you will ever have the chance to enjoy. I am not ashamed to say I visited this table more than once.<br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SwDAodxbmXI/AAAAAAAAA-8/PfvJAD-kf6k/s400/IMG_0198+1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404531354263853426" />The crowd raved about this demure little ceviche cup, served by <a href="http://www.fuegolongbeach.com/">Fuego Restaurant</a> from Long Beach. These little guys were amazing; two perfect bites of bright, salty freshness in a stylish shot glass.<img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SwDAoPGvoVI/AAAAAAAAA-0/ShFGYS2e_qg/s400/IMG_0206+1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404531350326714706" />These tasty little bites came from the kitchen of <a href="http://aquariussantacruz.com/">Aquarius</a> out of Santa Cruz. Little pastry cups filled with deliciousness (although I am having difficulty remembering exactly what.)</div><div><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SwYVSKVwRjI/AAAAAAAAA_U/W2aftN83aKI/s400/IMG_0200+1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406031804462286386" />One of the major participants of the Taste Pavilions was <a href="http://www.foodzie.com/">Foodzie</a>, a great website for producers of artisan foods, from snacks, sauces, preserves, and amazing chocolates. These beautiful little chocolates with smoked sea salt are from <a href="http://neococoa.com/">Neococoa</a>, a new San Francisco chocolatier.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SwC_X6PTRCI/AAAAAAAAA-s/2XN9r2fXs4E/s1600/smokedsaltchoc.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 275px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SwC_X6PTRCI/AAAAAAAAA-s/2XN9r2fXs4E/s400/smokedsaltchoc.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404529970335925282" /></a>After nibbling on a plethora of tasty bites, sipping beer from <a href="http://rougeale.com/">Rogue</a>, <a href="http://www.magnoliapub.com/index.html">Magnolia</a>, and <a href="http://www.21st-amendment.com/">21st Amendment Brewery</a>, I was stuffed and a little fuzzy from all of the beer. The kids at <a href="http://foodbuzz.com/">Foodbuzz</a>, working their tails off all afternoon, were rockstars and could not have put on a better event. Alas, after a long day of stuffing my face with some of the tastiest delights the food world has to offer, it was time to head home for a quick nap in preparation for the evening's <a href="http://www.outstandinginthefield.com/">Outstanding In The Field</a> dinner.</div><div><br /></div><div>The culmination of the entire 1st Annual Blogger Festival was the dinner Saturday night, held at the peculiar location of the <a href="http://www.greenleafsf.com/">Greenleaf Produce</a> warehouse deep in the Bayview district of San Francisco. The location proved to be the perfect spot for this gathering, making it feel like an illicit and secretive gourmet meal for about 250 people. On the way to the venue, our bus filled with hungry bloggers got lost in the heart of Hunter's Point, the driver carefully negotiating the narrow streets and consulting iphone directions that eventually got us to the right spot.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SwC_XisRHjI/AAAAAAAAA-k/RzJI6-aEZ8s/s1600/IMG_0221+1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SwC_XisRHjI/AAAAAAAAA-k/RzJI6-aEZ8s/s400/IMG_0221+1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404529964014968370" /></a>The menu for the Outstanding In The Field dinner was created by celebrated San Francisco restaurant <a href="http://www.namusf.com/">Namu</a>, and prepared by Chef Dennis Lee's staff in this impromptu kitchen stretched over banquet tables and mobile grills. Below you can see the prep and staging area for the mushroom soup we would be enjoying as our first course.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SwC_XBTn_XI/AAAAAAAAA-c/n5G00rcdhQk/s1600/IMG_0222+1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SwC_XBTn_XI/AAAAAAAAA-c/n5G00rcdhQk/s400/IMG_0222+1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404529955053239666" /></a>The concept behind <a href="http://www.outstandinginthefield.com/">Outstanding In The Field</a> dinners is to bring people together, usually to a farm, to celebrate the bounty of sustainable, local food together along a single, artfully designed table. Our table, draped in simple white cloth, snaked through the racks and rooms of Greenleaf to stunning effect.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SwC88xwJhlI/AAAAAAAAA-U/hLXlsAWTi0E/s1600/OITFTable1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 355px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SwC88xwJhlI/AAAAAAAAA-U/hLXlsAWTi0E/s400/OITFTable1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404527305178056274" /></a>Keep in mind, we were dining in a working produce warehouse, stacked high with pallets and crates of fruits and vegetables ready to be loaded on a truck and shipped out the moment we had cleaned our plates. Playing the gracious hosts, Greenleaf even gave us a magnificent centerpiece piled high with fresh fruits and veggies for us bloggers to use as camera fodder.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SwC88RyiU7I/AAAAAAAAA-M/xKO9TnamOiM/s1600/IMG_0244+1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SwC88RyiU7I/AAAAAAAAA-M/xKO9TnamOiM/s400/IMG_0244+1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404527296598135730" /></a>This steaming bowl of soup with maitake, shimeji, and enoki mushrooms started the dinner, a warm and earthy first dish. Beyond this single dish, everything was served family style, and we were encouraged to help serve each other, and we certainly did not hesitate. After the required photo ops, of course.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SwC873zhP5I/AAAAAAAAA-E/VsRGoMxvlfk/s1600/IMG_0260+1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SwC873zhP5I/AAAAAAAAA-E/VsRGoMxvlfk/s400/IMG_0260+1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404527289622937490" /></a>Next up was Udon with grilled calamari in a browned butter ponzu reduction, cucumber, kaiware, frisee and yellow pear tomato with chojang and sesame vinaigrette. Quite the mouthful to say, but even better to eat.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SwC6CkLOrJI/AAAAAAAAA98/oiYwNHwmOF0/s1600/IMG_0261+1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SwC6CkLOrJI/AAAAAAAAA98/oiYwNHwmOF0/s400/IMG_0261+1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404524106077875346" /></a>Next on the menu was a sea trout baked with fried garlic and Japanese curry powder, served with mushroom risotto with crispy maitake mushrooms. These dishes were some of what I love best about food; fresh, quality ingredients served simply enough to be able to tell their own story. The risotto was fantastic, and the trout was cooked just enough to be tender; slightly salty and fresh.</div><div><br /></div><div>The dish everyone couldn't stop talking about was the roasted brussels sprouts with ponzu fried garlic, guanciale and bonito flakes. The boring, bland, stinky brussels sprouts of your childhood have found a new way to live. Served next to soy braised beef cheeks and oxtails, baby carrots and fingerling potatoes, these two dishes hit it out of the park.</div><div><br /></div><div>The dinner was incredible; perfectly executed by everyone involved. As we sat along the sweeping table, drinking <a href="https://www.bonnydoonvineyard.com/">Bonny Doon</a> wines, laughing together and talking about everything we had experience at the festival, we had become one big family. Everyone seemed perfectly at home with each other, like we had known one another for years.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We capped off the evening with the 1st annual <a href="http://www.foodbuzz.com/pages/awards">Foodbuzz Blogger Awards</a>, served with a sweet desert wine from <a href="https://www.bonnydoonvineyard.com/">Bonny Doon</a>. Alas, the Tiny Kitchen wasn't nominated this year. Maybe next year I'll have to step up my game and get this modest little blog in shape. For now, I am still enjoying the warm glow (and piles of swag) from this amazing weekend of foodie bonding at it's finest.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SwC6CGy4yQI/AAAAAAAAA90/-8YjiLs00is/s1600/IMG_0285+1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SwC6CGy4yQI/AAAAAAAAA90/-8YjiLs00is/s400/IMG_0285+1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404524098191149314" /></a>Braving another sunny day in San Francisco after a long night of revelry, we gathered one final time Sunday morning for the farewell brunch at <a href="http://www.restaurantlulu.com/">Lulu restaurant</a>. Complete with a bloody mary bar, the brunch was hosted by <a href="http://http://www.naturespridebread.com/">Nature's Pride</a> bread and featured Kerrygold cheeses and butter and pears from <a href="http://www.froghollow.com/">Frog Hollow Farm</a>. From frittata with aged cheddar to crouque monsieurs with smoked ham and truffle mustard to just good old plain bacon, this meal was a delicious way to wrap up the weekend. Still, it had been a long weekend of perpetual indulgence, and eventually it was time to head back home for a quiet Sunday at home.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SwC6BvE9UOI/AAAAAAAAA9s/Ryq6-4hBIg0/s1600/IMG_0287.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 276px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SwC6BvE9UOI/AAAAAAAAA9s/Ryq6-4hBIg0/s400/IMG_0287.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404524091824492770" /></a>The 1st Annual Foodbuzz Blogger Festival was truly the start of something great; <a href="http://foodbuzz.com">Foodbuzz</a> didn't over look a single detail when planning the whole weekend. As many times as I have said it before, thanks Foodbuzz for a perfect foodie weekend. And thanks to all of my new foodie friends, it was great getting to know you and I can't wait to see what is in store for next year.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610978830753946877noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5503908497262047040.post-35422474023405632352009-11-07T07:45:00.001-08:002009-11-12T14:10:29.112-08:00Foodbuzz Blogger Festival, Day 1<div style="text-align: left;">What a weekend. Friday kicked off the <a href="http://foodbuzz.com/">1st Annual Foodbuzz Blogger Festival</a>, an event for all of us food-crazy bloggers to get together and share amazing food, drink, and conversation. Over 200 food bloggers came to town this weekend from across the country and even around the world to enjoy our fair city. Luckily, Lady San Francisco kept the clouds away and the lights glittering bright for our guests to enjoy.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The festival kicked off on the terrace of the <a href="http://www.hotelvitale.com/">Hotel Vitale</a>, just across the wide lanes of the Embarcadero, providing us with quite a view.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SvWYD2gCnAI/AAAAAAAAA9A/38gZqHdrDaw/s400/IMG_0159+1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401390520037710850" />As the temperature dropped and bloggers found their way up to the plush suite and terrace of the hotel, we packed together under heat lamps sipping <a href="http://skyy.com/">Skyy</a> vodka cocktails and <a href="http://goodbeer.com/">Speakeasy</a> ales making new friends as we stood in line for a small bite or a fresh drink. Really, it was the best bar line in The City that night; no shoving or arguing, just folks getting acquainted and asking "so what blog do you write?"<div><br /></div><div>Soon, it was off to the Ferry Building to enjoy some of the best street food San Francisco has to offer. Trucks lined the stalls of the Ferry Building's north arcade space to share their creations as we continued meeting new friends while gushing over each bite. The roving trays of chicharrones from <a href="http://4505meats.com/">4505 Meats</a> were a huge hit.<br /><div><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 356px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SvWYEbWyrRI/AAAAAAAAA9I/qI01E8k7jIQ/s400/Chicarrones.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401390529931029778" /><a href="http://aliveveggie.com/">Alive</a> raw restaurant served wafers topped with avocado, tomato and basil and an amazing raw cheesecake, almost just as good as the real thing.<br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SvWZlY0yhgI/AAAAAAAAA9Y/0Q1RIQrqW9g/s400/IMG_0177+1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401392195698853378" />Cupcakes are all the rage in the city right now, and one of the best in town is <a href="http://missionminis.com/">Mission Minis</a>. These little guys are a perfect bite size, topped with sweet butter cream frosting, and are moist and delicious.<br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SvWYEz11zxI/AAAAAAAAA9Q/eHhrtMi0NIo/s400/IMG_0176+1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401390536503709458" />The hit of the night for most everyone came from <a href="http://roliroti.com/">Roli Roti</a> and their porchetta sandwich, crispy skin together with perfectly rotisserie roasted pork belly and pork loin in a sourdough bun mopped in the roasting juices. (No good pictures of this one, sadly. I was too busy filling my belly with its porky goodness.) Topped with salt and chopped parsley, these sandwiches were way too good to miss.</div><div><br /></div><div>I have a weakness for pizza, and when we're talking about crispy, clay-oven style pizza, it's hard for me to focus on just about anything else. The folks at <a href="http://www.pizzapolitana.com/">Pizza Politana</a> and their brilliant mobile clay oven turn out some of the best hand-tossed pizza in The City. These beauties here were being snatched up just as quickly as they came out of the oven.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SvWZl9XawnI/AAAAAAAAA9g/zW5Tqh5VY_M/s1600-h/IMG_0188+1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SvWZl9XawnI/AAAAAAAAA9g/zW5Tqh5VY_M/s400/IMG_0188+1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401392205507773042" /></a><div>This first night of revelry around The City's best street food left nothing to be desired, and not enough hands to take all the pictures it deserved. And while I was to busy stuffing my face to take enough good pictures, all of the vendors deserve a mention for a fantastic showing. The whole arcade was lined with amazing eats, from the simple brilliance of <a href="http://tacolicioussf.com/">Tacolicious</a>, the quick to disappear pies from the <a href="http://thepietruck.wordpress.com/">SF Pie Truck</a>, <a href="http://www.strausfamilycreamery.com/">Strauss Family Creamery ice cream</a>, <a href="http://www.spenceronthego.com/home.html">Spencer on the go</a>, San Francisco's only mobile French restaurant, and of course the sudsy libations of <a href="http://www.thirstybear.com/">Thirsty Bear Brewing Company</a>. Am I missing someone? I probably am. So much food coming at you from all sides, it's easy to lose track.</div><div><br /></div><div>But wait, there's more! Friday was just the start of what would become an epic food blogger weekend. Stay tuned for recaps of days 2 &amp; 3, and our brilliant <a href="http://www.outstandinginthefield.com/">Outstanding In The Field</a> dinner at the <a href="http://www.greenleafsf.com/">Greenleaf Produce Warehouse</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>For even more on Friday night's festivities, check out these fellow bloggers: <a href="http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2009/11/intro-text.html">Food Wishes</a>, <a href="http://oldwaystable.org/2009/11/09/foodbuzz-food-blogger-festival-part-one/">Oldways Table</a>, <a href="http://www.eatlivetravelwrite.com/2009/11/foodbuzz-blogger-festival-happy-hour.html">Eat, Live, Travel, Write</a>, <a href="http://whatsgabycooking.com/foodbuzz-festival/">What's Gaby Cooking?</a>, <a href="http://theletmeeatcake.blogspot.com/2009/11/fun-filled-foodbuzz-festival.html">Let Me Eat Cake</a>, <a href="http://www.cookingbytheseatofmypants.com/blog-events/foodbuzz-festival-day-one/">CBSOP</a>, and many, many more.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610978830753946877noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5503908497262047040.post-54182007699257765132009-10-28T10:27:00.000-07:002009-11-02T14:48:08.057-08:00Foodbuzz Community Table Dinner at Bushi-Tei<div style="text-align: left;">Less than a week after an amazing dinner at Spruce with <a href="http://www.foodbuzz.com/">Foodbuzz</a> and Black Box Wines, Bay Area foodies again gathered around the Community Table to talk, eat, drink, and of course take pictures. Last night, we were given the chance to dine together at <a href="http://www.bushi-tei.com/">Bushi-Tei</a> in San Francisco's Japantown. Old faces and new sat around a beautiful wood and glass table as we were introduced to the owner and sommelier and served a sparkling wine from South Africa, the same sparkling wine President Obama toasted with on his inauguration.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SukdWzgI3vI/AAAAAAAAA8g/FXCZapDS2cs/s400/IMG_0078+1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397877905999585010" /><div style="text-align: center;">Our place setting:</div><div><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SukdWUMNt_I/AAAAAAAAA8Y/jsXmhf_4X3U/s400/setting.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397877897594517490" /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 235px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SukdWKX957I/AAAAAAAAA8Q/ShMlMRa5SMQ/s400/IMG_0111+1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397877894959458226" />After an amuse bouche of miso marinated kobe beef, our first course arrived. The ankimo torcon, or monk fish liver, was plated with snow crab salad, spicy fish roe-potato mousseline, julienne vegetables &amp; parsley coulis. The monk fish liver was rich and deeply flavored and paired nicely against the sweet snow crab and the crisp julienne vegetables. We were served a sweet Domaine Fevre Champs Royal Chablis that went down beautifully against the salty dish.</div><div><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 303px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SupW6v-t98I/AAAAAAAAA84/S3R-s2y6o48/s400/Bushi+Tei+fish.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398222670668888002" /><div style="text-align: left;">Next course was a slow roasted natural beef tenderloin with matsutake mushroom risotto, English peas, pinor noir reduction &amp; espresso oil. This beef tenderloin was perfect; just medium rare, the meat seemed to fall apart with a touch of the fork. The pinor noir reduction &amp; espresso oil added a rich peppery flavor that contrasted perfectly with the buttery risotto and the earthy matsutake mushrooms. The dish was paired with an Expression 39 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir, a great, deep red wine that really brought out the richness of the tenderloin.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 251px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SupW6OfyffI/AAAAAAAAA8w/5Jt2tHUyTKo/s400/Bushi+Tei+steak.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398222661680791026" /><div style="text-align: left;">And, finally, desert. A precariously balanced tower of different textures and flavors, a peach melba with daiginjyou sake-kabosu cube, stuck through with a spike of sugar. Not being a huge desert person, this was a nice surprise. The layers of different textures and flavors all stood out on their own, but were great all together on a spoon. The jello-shot like sake cube was interesting, certainly not something you would typically find atop a desert dish. Paired with a Gonzalez Byass Solera 1847 Oloroso Sherry, a thick, rich and very sweet wine that complimented the desert well.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SupW5zgx1GI/AAAAAAAAA8o/L7RZ2g4CXJ4/s400/Bushi+Tei+dessert.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398222654437184610" /><div style="text-align: left;">Dinner was fantastic and as always it was a great time getting to eat, drink and talk with all my food blogger friends and all the great folks from Foodbuzz. And here's looking forward to next week, and the <a href="http://www.foodbuzz.com/pages/festival">Foodbuzz Blogger Festival</a>! <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610978830753946877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5503908497262047040.post-26109823345541461372009-10-22T09:14:00.001-07:002009-10-23T22:19:41.143-07:00Foodbuzz Community Table Dinner at Spruce<div style="text-align: left;">Last night we once again gathered around the table together for a Community Table Dinner hosted by <a href="http://www.foodbuzz.com">Foodbuzz</a> and <a href="http://www.blackboxwines.com">Black Box Wines</a> at the stylish <a href="http://www.sprucesf.com">Spruce</a> restaurant in San Francisco. Black Box, a wine company breaking the conventions of how a great wine is presented, partnered with Foodbuzz to pair their great varietal wines with the fresh and creative cuisine at Spruce. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 325px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SuE0KiJJjtI/AAAAAAAAA7I/XZEWI9ZC_E8/s400/Spruce.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395651184135081682" />The night started in the foyer of Spruce, enjoying house made charcuterie, Merlot and Reisling from Black Box Wines, catching up with old faces and getting acquainted with new ones.<div><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 263px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SuE0LYja9zI/AAAAAAAAA7Q/WCst89_UU8w/s400/IMG_0009+1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395651198740789042" />Once we were ready for dinner, we were led into the beautifully appointed banquet room, where we heard a few words about the delicious wines we were about to drink and the dishes they would be paired with. Then, it was on to the good part: The food.</div><div><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 337px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SuE0L6gp06I/AAAAAAAAA7Y/FkT1LWxuPPo/s400/IMG_0019+1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395651207855985570" />With camera flashes popping, this beet and pear salad with aged goat's milk cheese and walnut vinaigrette was placed in front of us. The flavors of the salad were perfectly balanced and paired nicely with a 2008 New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.</div><div><br /></div><div>Next came a dish of roasted halibut with fennel, chanterelle mushrooms, and a fennel fumet. (Sorry, all my photos of this dish were pretty abysmal.) The best part about this dish were the chanterelles piled onto sauteed spinach, all nestled into a beautiful bright green fennel sauce. The halibut was paired with two whites, a 2008 Monterey County Chardonnay, and a 2008 Napa Valley Reserve Chardonnay. Both paired well with the dish, but the standout was the Napa Valley Reserve.</div><div><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SuE2nOMYIHI/AAAAAAAAA7g/sFNz_ss4Eos/s400/IMG_0046+1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395653876019372146" />The highlight of the meal was the grilled bavette steak with duck fat potatoes and bordelaise. The steak was grilled to a perfect medium-rare, juicy and flavorful and absolutely mouthwatering. But it was the duck fat potatoes that made everyone rave. Crisp skin and soft interior, these potatoes were completely different from any fry you might be used to. The flavor of the duck fat was so light and buttery, we were all in heaven. Not willing to take a back seat to the dish, the 2007 California Cabernet Sauvignon was dark and peppery and a highlight of the wines for the night.<br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 316px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SuE2nqLvZ1I/AAAAAAAAA7o/5dGyimf8Ve0/s400/IMG_0050+1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395653883532896082" />The dinner wrapped up with a Farmstead cheese plate paired with a 2007 Central Coast Shiraz. The cheese was good, but a little underwhelming after the previous dishes we had just enjoyed. </div><div>It was another great dinner with a great group of folks talking, drinking wine, and doing what we all know how to do best: Eat. It was a blast to sit and eat with food blogger friends, the folks from Foodbuzz, and of course our new friends at Black Box Wines. Thanks to Kiersten, Chef John, Marc, Jesse, Rebecca, Bridget and the rest of our table for making it such a great night.</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SuE2n6QJHLI/AAAAAAAAA7w/DL-3e_vVEYM/s1600-h/IMG_0073+1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 308px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/SuE2n6QJHLI/AAAAAAAAA7w/DL-3e_vVEYM/s400/IMG_0073+1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395653887846325426" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">For a few more looks at our dinner at Spruce, check out Jesse's phenomenal photos at <a href="http://beerandnosh.com/2009/10/spruce/">Beer and Nosh</a> and Chef John's witty recap (and a picture of my belt buckle) at <a href="http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2009/10/catching-foodbuzz-with-black-box-at.html">Food Wishes Video Recipes</a>.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610978830753946877noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5503908497262047040.post-75514134448228818272009-10-19T14:55:00.001-07:002009-10-22T09:13:47.011-07:00Orange Pumpkin Cloverleafs<div style="text-align: left;">Here in the Tiny Kitchen, we are always looking for new ideas and fun things to make, and while I love baking it is hard to justify baking a batch of anything when there is only the two of us around to enjoy it. We always feel a little gluttonous faced with stuffing our maws with a dozen or so tart, fruity scones or warm, crumbly muffins yet for some reason we rarely feel inclined to dump our excess baked goods on our unsuspecting co-workers.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Despite all of this, as the days have grown shorter, a bit colder, and much wetter, it seemed like the right time warm the Tiny Kitchen with the comforting smells of baking. With that in mind, we flipped through the pages of a few of our <a href="http://www.gourmet.com/">Gourmet</a> magazines to find just the right thing to bake to welcome the beginning of Fall. The missus had a hankering for "something with pumpkin", and these adorable little Orange Pumpkin Cloverleafs seemed to fit the bill nicely. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So in honor of our friends at <a href="http://www.gourmet.com/">Gourmet Magazine</a> and the first cool nights of Fall, here are the humble Orange Pumpkin Cloverleafs:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Orange-Pumpkin-Cloverleafs-351421">Orange Pumpkin Cloverleafs:</a></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Ingredients:</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">3/4 stick unsalted butter, melted, divided</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 teaspoons active dry yeast</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/4 cup warm milk</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tablespoon mild honey or sugar</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour plus more for kneading and dusting</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 1/2 teaspoons salt</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/3 cup canned pure pumpkin</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 large eggs, divided, plus 1 yolk</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tablespoons fresh orange juice</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tablespoon water</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Equipment: a muffin pan with 12 (1/3 to 1/2 cup) muffin cups</div><div><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/St6K_Vukc-I/AAAAAAAAA64/TxeWMkzAnhY/s400/dough.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394902224405296098" />Butter muffin cups with 1 tablespoon melted butter. (or, what worked for us was to take the unmelted butter and smear it inside the muffin cups with my fingers.)<div><br /></div><div>Stir together yeast, warm milk, and honey in a large bowl and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixtures doesn't foam, start over with new yeast.)</div><div><br /></div><div>Mix flour, salt, pumpkin, 1 whole egg, yolk, orange zest and juice, and remaining 5 tablespoon butter into yeast mixture with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until a soft dough forms. Turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead, dusting surface and your hands with just enough flour to keep dough from sticking, until dough is elastic and smooth, 6 to 8 minutes. Form dough into a ball.</div><div><br /></div><div>Put dough in an oiled large bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. (Our kitchen was not exactly "warm room temperature" so we turned the oven on low and left the door open to provide warmth.)</div><div><br /></div><div>After the dough has risen, punch down dough (do not knead), then halve. Roll half of dough on a lightly floured surface with lightly floured hands into a 12-inch-long log (keep remaining half covered with plastic wrap.)<br /><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/St6K_Le-5MI/AAAAAAAAA6w/b2w-Li_tEow/s400/IMG_2959.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394902221655565506" />Cut log into 6 equal pieces, then cut each piece into thirds. Roll each piece into a 1-inch ball by cupping your hand and pushing dough against work surface as you roll in a circular motion. Put 3 balls side by side in each of 6 muffin cups.</div><div><br /></div><div>Make more rolls with remaining dough in the same manner. Cover rolls with a kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and let rise in a draf-free place at warm room temperature until dough is about 1 inch above rim of muffin cups, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.</div><div><br /></div><div>Preheat oven to 375 deg with rack in middle. (That is, of course, unless your oven isn't already on.)</div><div><br /></div><div>Whisk together remaining egg and water and brush on tops of rolls. (You will have leftover egg wash.)</div><div><br /></div><div>Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer rolls to a rack and cool at least 20 minutes. These rolls are best served warm the day they are made, but can be frozen for up to 1 month, thawed &amp; reheated in a 350 deg oven.</div><div><br /></div><div>These little rolls are soft and doughy, with a bright citrus tang and have just a the slightest sweetness of pumpkin. They would make a nice change of pace as a dinner roll or a great little breakfast muffin topped with melted butter. These little beauties were a lot of fun to make, the missus and I working together in the Tiny Kitchen to mix, knead, cut and roll them to life.</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ee5PQXZ11iQ/St6L_-MWGkI/AAAAAAAAA7A/Q22-A4EZfCc/s400/Cloverleafs.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394903334779230786" /><div>Finally, a toast to our friends at <a href="http://www.gourmet.com/">Gourmet Magazine</a>: It was a sad day when it was announced that Gourmet Magazine would be stopping publication after their November issue; surely the food world will be a much blander place without this magazine to tease our appetites and encourage our love of all things edible. Gourmet gave us a joy for food that no other publication can bring. Whether it was an article about a restaurant's fascinating avant garde cuisine or one person's passion for the traditions of cheese making, Gourmet considered food as something to be treasured and enjoyed. While their work at Gourmet will certainly be missed, Ruth Reichl, Ian Knauer and the whole staff of writers and editors will easily find a home for their talents and passions, and we all look forward to seeing what they do next.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610978830753946877noreply@blogger.com0